Forest sector in Canada – Shortage of skilled workers union says

A shortage of skilled tradespeople could put a damper on the upswing in the forest sector, according to Unifor.

The union says steady jobs, with pay up to $42 per hour at some northwestern Ontario mills, are hard to fill because there are few qualified candidates.

Unifor national representative Stephen Boon says despite lucrative salaries, mills in northwestern Ontario are struggling to recruit skilled tradespeople. (Stephen Boon/Twitter)

Mills in the region are now competing for employees, a situation that could price smaller companies out of business, Unifor national representative Stephen Boon said.

“The wages are very lucrative right now and the resumes should be flowing in quite steadily and they’re not,” Boon said.

“At the end of the day somebody will be stuck with a mill that will not be able to recruit the proper tradespeople to run that operation effectively, efficiently and at full production,” he said.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at Help wanted: Forest sector runs short of skilled workers, union says – Thunder Bay – CBC News.