More forwarder driving for Sveaskog's trainees

Västerbotten is the first Sveaskog market area to provide its trainees with a timber forwarder especially for practice driving. Several more training forwarders are now being provided.

Most agronomy colleges specialising in forestry provide several terms of practical training during which students put their theoretical knowledge of forestry work to the test. And Sveaskog wishes to offer good trainee programmes, not least in order to attract the next generation of forest workers.

"We have learned from former trainees that many of them would have liked more opportunity to operate forest machinery, and we have responded to this," says Mattias Torger, Harvesting Manager with responsibility for work with the new training forwarder in Lycksele, and adds:

"Since forest work to a large extent entails operating forest machinery, it is beneficial for the students to be able to train with them while still studying. There are very often too few machines at schools to allow for regular practice, making the opportunity to use them during the practical training periods all the more important. It concerns using the time they spend with us in the best possible way.

Lars Nilsson, Machine Operator in Västerbotten, works as a trainee instructor in Lycksele and is responsible for trainee machine instruction and supervision: 

"There are no short cuts to becoming a good operator. The trainees I have had up till now think it's great that they can work with the forwarder as much as they do. In the past there was not sufficient time to allow trainees to operate machines. Now they can get practical experience during their training," he says. 

The ambition is to provide all the Sveaskog market areas with a trainee forwarder.