Growing the Next Generation: Building Careers Across the Wood Supply Chain

Published
by Lindsay Warness | FRA Western Region Manager

November is National Career Development Month, an opportunity to recognize the programs introducing young people to careers in the timber and wood products industry and the importance of investing in the next generation of skilled professionals.

When we think about the future of the forest products industry, conversations often focus on timber supply, forest management, regulations, and markets. While these issues are critical, there’s another challenge that deserves just as much attention: Who will make up the next generation of our workforce?

As experienced workers retire and competition for skilled labor increases, employers across the wood supply chain are working to attract, train, and retain qualified employees. Building a strong workforce pipeline is essential to ensuring our industry’s long-term success, supporting rural economies, and meeting the growing demand for forest products.

Skilled workers—from logging contractors and truck drivers to equipment operators, foresters, and mill employees—keep the wood supply chain moving. Yet many are nearing retirement, and recruiting the next generation is increasingly difficult. Fewer than one in four logging business owners are under 40, the average owner/operator is over 55, and about 30% expect to leave the business within five years. These figures underscore a familiar challenge: telling young people about rewarding careers in wood products is not enough. We must offer firsthand experience, practical training, and connections with the people and businesses behind our industry’s success.

To address this need, FRA worked to introduce the bipartisan Jobs in the Woods Act (S. 1336/H.R. 4575). The bipartisan legislation would create competitive grants to expand workforce training, particularly in rural and low-income communities. Through partnerships among educators, employers, and workforce development organizations, it would prepare workers for careers across the wood supply chain, from timber harvesting and transportation to forest management and wood products manufacturing. Across the Pacific Northwest, organizations are already helping young people explore these opportunities. Education programs, student competitions, and industry partnerships introduce them to timber and wood products careers they may not have considered.

The Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) supports forestry education and workforce development. Its 2025–26 Annual Report describes participation by more than 100,000 students in forestry field programs, professional development for more than 800 educators, and approximately 200 student competitors in Oregon Envirothon, a hands-on environmental education program and competition for high school students, covering forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology, soils, and current environmental issues.

OFRI and the Western Forestry and Conservation Association (WFCA) co-hosted a Forest Sector Workforce Summit in May 2026. The resulting report, Oregon’s Forest Sector Workforce, estimates that Oregon needs about 3,400 new forest operations and management workers each year. With 69% of logging employers employing 10 or fewer people, these efforts underscore the need to align education with the timber industry’s workforce needs.

Another Oregon program making a meaningful difference is Future Natural Resource Leaders (FNRL). Through 30 high school chapters across the state, FNRL gives students opportunities to develop technical skills, build leadership experience, and explore careers in natural resources and the forest industry. Students participate in forestry competitions, hands-on training, and programs such as Fire School, where they gain exposure to wildland fire management. A partnership with Associated Oregon Loggers also provides access to a Forest Operator Industry Recognized Credential, helping students develop skills that can translate directly into employment opportunities. Programs like FNRL are particularly valuable because they connect classroom learning with real-world experience. For a student who may have never considered becoming a logging contractor, equipment operator, forester, or wood products manufacturing professional, these opportunities can open the door to an entirely new career path.

Idaho’s annual State Forestry Contest shows how early exposure can spark interest in the timber industry. Students in grades 5–12 demonstrate their skills in timber cruising, log scaling, tree identification, silviculture, and forest health. Co-sponsored by the Idaho Department of Lands and Bonner Soil & Water Conservation District, the contest connects students with industry professionals. It offers cash prizes and scholarship opportunities through the University of Idaho College of Natural Resources. Competition may draw students in, but the lasting value lies in gaining practical knowledge, meeting industry professionals, and seeing how their skills connect to careers across the wood supply chain.

In Washington, the Pacific Education Institute (PEI) connects students with natural resource careers through Green Job Pathways, paid summer experiences with Youth Engaged in Sustainable Systems (YESS), and its leadership role with Career Connect Washington. Its 2025–2027 strategy targets more than 2,100 career-connected learning opportunities and 560 additional high school course slots, giving students hands-on experience and pathways to employment. These programs can also help students discover the range of careers in timber and wood products.

While these programs take different approaches to workforce development, they share a common purpose: introducing young people to career opportunities in the forest products industry. The Jobs in the Woods Act would strengthen these efforts by expanding training opportunities, strengthening partnerships between education and industry, and increasing access to workforce development resources in rural communities and among smaller logging operations, where such opportunities are often limited.

Yet legislation and educational programs alone aren’t enough. Sustaining a strong workforce requires active engagement from every segment of the wood supply chain. That means opening our facilities and operations to students, participating in career fairs, mentoring future professionals, and supporting local workforce development initiatives. Whether it is a mill tour, a visit to a logging operation, or a conversation about the wide range of careers our industry offers, these firsthand experiences can spark interest and create lasting connections.

As we recognize National Career Development Month, I encourage everyone across the wood supply chain to find one way to connect with the next generation. The future of our industry depends not only on the timber we grow and the products we manufacture, but on the people we inspire, train, and support today.

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Lindsay Warness | FRA Western Region Manager