Janice cuts it in tough world of forestry

Skid worker Janice Grant didn't know how to start a chainsaw before she trained at Te Wananga o Aotearoa. Photo / Duncan Brown

Janice Grant has proven gender and age are no barrier in the forestry industry.

The 51-year-old recently completed a forestry course under the tutelage of Kingi Ngarotata at Napier's Te Wananga O Aotearoa.

Mrs Grant said that her husband and sons are involved in the industry and thought she would "give it a go".

"I am always looking for new challenges," she said.

When she began the course she could not start a chainsaw.

It was hard for Mrs Grant being the only woman in the group.

She was given no special treatment which is the way she wanted it.

"There were no toilets so I was expected to go the same way the men did."

The men eventually embraced her and began to call her "aunty".

"One day I just thought, you know what, i can do this!"

From that day on Mrs Grant thrived.

She would regularly assist Mr Ngarotata training new people.

Mr Ngarotata has worked in the industry for the past 20 years and said it had only been in the past 10 that females had begun to join the sector.

He said that when it comes to log making and driving machinery women are superior to their male counterparts.

"They are perfectionists and have more flexible wrists so the result is always much tidier."

Mrs Grant is looking for work in the forestry sector.

With New Zealand supplying just 2 per cent of the world's timber, the demand for forestry workers is dropping significantly.