Page 14 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 3 - Summer 2022

appealing enough to encourage people to join the log hauling industry. That’s the one thing we’re lacking,” Thompson said. “Across the industry, there is a need to get our freight rates up so we can offer benefits such as insurance and retirement to our drivers. The job needs to be seen as a desirable profession — a career with a future. We have to make it more than just a paycheck. It’s got to be a job where somebody can come to work and know they have the opportunity to earn a good living, one from which they can eventually retire. However, until we can get to a point where it’s a profitable business, and we can compete with other industries in the state with how we handle freight, it’s not going to get any better.”
MARTEL SHARPE IS A JOURNALIST
WITH OVER A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE. HE IS A FORMER MANAGING EDITOR WHO ALSO REPORTED MOSTLY ON LOCAL AND STATE TOPICS THAT INCLUDED POLITICS, BUSINESS, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ISSUES.
12 | GEORGIA FORESTRY
IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONS
to Labor Challenges Across the Forestry Sector
The Georgia Forestry Foundation (GFF) is partnering with the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government to develop an analysis of Georgia’s forestry labor market across three primary sectors, including Harvest and Haul, Land Management, and Manufacturing. The results of the labor studies will serve to arm GFF and its stakeholders with data and analysis to support the development of programs, partnerships and strategies to address the industry’s workforce pipeline.
The forestry sector, like much of the US economy, is facing numerous workforce challenges, including wage pressure, an aging workforce, shrinking rural population, changing work preferences and declining interest in skilled trades. These challenges make investing in workforce development critical for the health of one of Georgia’s key industries.
“In order to reach the full potential of our nation’s forests and forest industry, we must solve the labor and logistics challenges facing our logging industry. Our focus with this analysis is to better understand the current and potential obstacles to hiring, developing and retaining the
top talent needed to remain a locally, regionally and globally competitive industry,” said Andres Villegas, president and CEO of the Georgia Forestry Association and Foundation.
GFF will be releasing the results of this analysis this fall.
LEARN MORE and stay up to date at GFFGrow.org.