Two projects are under way to revise the national qualifications and skills standards that capture skills in sawmilling and timber processing, and responding and assisting during bushfires. Drafts of these documents are currently in development and will be available for review and comment soon.
Responding and Assisting in Bushfires Project
The 2019-2020 bushfires and subsequent Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements highlighted the importance of skills in mechanical thinning, effective communication and awareness of hazards associated with recovery activities.
With these skills, forestry operators, arborists and other service providers can play an important role in minimising the risk of bushfires and cleaning up after them.
Consultation will take place throughout this project to identify and address skills gaps for responding to bushfires, so that those working in the forestry industry can maintain the appropriate skills.
For more information, visit the project page.
Sawmilling and Timber Processing Project
The needs of the sawmilling and timber processing industry are changing, as it develops environmentally sustainable solutions for building construction. As workplaces invest in state-of-the-art equipment to produce innovative products, including cross laminated timber (CLT) and glue laminated timber (GLT), updated technical and digital skills are required.
Consultation is taking place throughout this project to revise qualifications and skills standards so that they reflect the skills required to optimise output, work with new processes, perform quality control, and meet chain of custody requirements, as well as to operate and monitor automated wood processing technologies and continuous drying kilns.
For more information, visit the project page.
