Mechanized Logging Program Training Underway

The second session of Maine’s Mechanized Logging Operations training will soon be occurring in a quiet part of the woods in Chapman, Maine.

Developed through a partnership between Northern Maine Community College, Eastern Maine Community College, Washington County Community College, and the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine (PLC), this unique program addresses the growing need for skilled workers in the industry. Many of the current operators are approaching retirement age, creating a shortage of trained loggers.

The first session of this 12-week certificate program, was held last summer in Millinocket. The program trains operators on highly technical equipment used for 95% of the logging that occurs in Maine. The machinery includes: feller bunchers, cut to length harvesters, delimbers, grapple skidders, and forwarders.

Students will gain a broad overview of the most common mechanical systems found on modern timber harvesting equipment. They will also become familiar with environmental regulations, safety, logging economics and basic maintenance. The first few weeks of the program included classroom training, where students also earned industry standard certifications for safety and first aid. Under the guidance of their instructors, students  will soon be engaged in the hands-on portion of the training, working in real-life logging conditions to prepare them for good paying careers in the logging industry.

“The industry has been very generous about supporting the continuation this program.  All of the harvesting equipment is donated from Milton CAT and Nortrax Inc. and Prentiss & Carlisle is providing the work site for the hands on training,” stated Leah Buck, the Assistant Dean of Continuing Education at Northern Maine Community College and one of the developers of the program. “Both the industry and the State of Maine recognize that logging is a vital piece of the Maine economy. The investment in developing a well-trained workforce is vital to the industry’s future.”

The program was designed to respond to the industry’s need, in areas of the state with the most demand for skilled workers. It will relocate to those areas for each new session and will coincide with the time that is most beneficial to the industry to bring in new employees. Last summer, the first session was held in Millinocket, with plans for the next session will be held Downeast in the Calais region.  Each session is hosted by the respective community college in that region.

Maine loggers are a vital part of the state’s forest products sector, which is worth an estimated $8.5 billion annually. Maine’s logging industry contributes $882 million to the state’s economy each year and supports more than 7,300 direct and indirect jobs in the state.

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