Opportunities rise in forestry

John Laney is someone who believes that every person has something to contribute to this world.
He believes this theory to the extent that he has offered Northland Polytechnic forestry courses to people on the street and has achieved a 100 per cent job placement rate for his graduates from the courses he has run since he started as a tutor at the facility three years ago.
But Mr Laney's generosity and concern for Kaipara youngsters did not stop there because he has actually shelled out about $1500 of his own money to get these men shipped to the South Island into forestry jobs before government funding became available for them to make the move. Modest about his achievements and pushed into talking about them by inspired colleagues, Mr Laney said he has proved the worth of pursuing a career in the forestry industry himself with experience spanning more than 25 years and has travelled the length and breadth of New Zealand while doing it.
He said his own opportunity started when at the tender age of 16 he got fed up with school and wrote to the New Zealand Forest Service asking for a job. He was offered one straight away.
Now 40, he said he has enjoyed the lifestyle the job has afforded him including the travel opportunities.
"I have been working around many areas of New Zealand and Australia and I could go and work for a mate who has a logging company in the States if I wanted to," he said.
Mr Laney said the industry has definite opportunities for those willing to grasp hold of them and over the years he has been glad of the good contacts he has made through his own work which is now a great help in getting graduates placed into work.
"There is work in forestry if you are willing to go where it is and really, the sky's the limit," he said.
He has just come back from settling four young graduates into forestry positions in the South Island at the completion of another of his forestry introduction courses.
Mr Laney said there was a sense of satisfaction in helping young people to get a better life and a career with good prospects.
And shame on anyone who dared to stereo-type what the forestry worker should look or sound like because they came from all walks of life, according to Mr Laney.
"I have a mate who is an anaesthetist who wanted a break from the medical field and took a year off to work in the forestry and yeah, there are also guys from Poremoremo prison - that's how diverse people in our industry can be," he said.
Mr Laney said graduates could make $700 a week but they were required to work hard for their money.
However, he said many young men who had learning difficulties did well on the courses and could see the career opportunities in front of them and were encouraged to shine and get qualifications.
One strict criteria is no drugs - particularly in learning harvesting skills and because of the high risk associated with it.
Compulsory drug tests were a requirement before starting the course and 100 per cent of students on Mr Laney's courses last year passed their drug tests.
Any students who have addictions are advised to get help to deal with them, including counselling, he said.
"If they really want to kick the habit they will so that they can pass the drug tests and that's pretty good when you consider that we get guys who have smoked dope since they were 12 and they are now in their 20s and 30s," he said.
The introduction course - Certificate in Forestry Level 2 - covers a wide range of subjects including basic industry knowledge, health and safety , chainsaw use and maintenance through to harvesting and silviculture (the care of growing trees before they are harvested).
The 36-week course comprises two-semesters - half practical, on-site training and half theory.