Skilled labour shortage transforms old sawmills into training centres

by Gordon Hamilton – In Prince George, forest company Canfor has plans to convert its mothballed Rustad sawmill into a $10-million training centre for skilled workers.

Vancouver Sun VANCOUVER — In Prince George, forest company Canfor has plans to convert its mothballed Rustad sawmill into a $10-million training centre for skilled workers. At High Prairie, Alberta, Tolko Industries has already done the same thing at its shuttered High Prairie mill, partnering with a local college and the Alberta government in a $5.3-million program to train future tradespeople. It opened earlier this month. …“When industry can’t get the skills that they need, then industry needs to think differently and partner with schools,” Heather Press, manager of recruitment and organizational development at Tolko, said in describing this latest push to recruit skilled workers.

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