Youth & Education / Recruitment
To promote the tremendous opportunities ahead for the forest sector, we are involved in activities to attract new employees and encourage students to pursue disciplines related to the company’s core business. In 2015, we attended 30 career fairs, including First Nations job/career fairs, and our executives and other company representatives met regularly with students from post-secondary institutions to discuss the many career options available with Canfor and Canfor Pulp.
We partner with Finning and Prince George’s Career Technical Centre so Grade 11 and 12 students are able to graduate from high school with their first year of technical training. In 2015, the students worked on Canfor equipment alongside Finning technicians.
Canfor and the University of British Columbia partnered for the third year to deliver a unique fourth-year course where our forest professionals teach students about operational practices in harvest planning and implementation. In Burnaby, BC, Canfor Pulp Innovation Centre offers co‑op placements to give students a better understanding of how innovative and forward-looking the forest industry can be.
We sponsored the Prince George Construction Association’s annual Heavy Metal Rocks work experience, which gives students hands-on experience in the construction industry. The 32 Grade 11 and 12 students moved through 16 work stations, learning from industry veterans and getting behind the controls of everything from mini excavators to large machinery.
As part of our sponsorship of the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, we hosted 500 high-school students from across northern British Columbia so they could attend high-profile events such as hockey games and snowboarding, and learn about careers in the forest sector.
In May, our booth at the Vanderhoof Chamber of Commerce’s Path to the Future trade show showed visitors how we support the community, and highlighted the career options we offer.
In April, four foresters from our operations in Graham, NC, helped Grade 6 students learn about forests, forest management and the forest products industry as part of the North Carolina Forestry Association’s Forestry and Environmental Camps.
In 2015, we provided $79,689.80 through our scholarship and bursary programs. Our scholarship programs support forestry, wood products manufacturing and engineering studies, as well as studies leading to millwright, electrician, power engineer, instrument technician, welder and heavy-duty mechanic designations.
In 2015, we awarded scholarships to high school students from our operating communities. In the third year of the Bentley-Prentice scholarships for children of Canfor employees, we recognized five students for academic excellence. We work with secondary and post-secondary institutions to provide financial support to students pursuing studies in forestry, including dedicated support for First Nations students. We invested more than $6,200 to sponsor Dry Grads at eight BC schools.
We believe referrals from existing employees are a great way to recruit people who will fit into our culture. Through our Employee Referral Policy, we offer a bonus of $500 to $1,500 to staff who refer a candidate. The bonus is paid 60 calendar days after the new employee’s start date. All employees who refer a candidate are also entered into a quarterly draw for gift certificates for Canfor merchandise.