What we can offer…
Join NZ’s fastest growing primary industry
What we can offer…
WHO ARE WE and CONTACT
FORESTRY BIG DAY OUT
Careers Expos
SCHOOL VISITS
work experience programmes & ride along trips
video resources
study and scholarships
Useful Links
Join NZ’s fastest growing primary industry
Who we are
Grow Me is the forest and tree crop sector national secondary schools engagement programme for New Zealand. Developed by the 8 regional Wood Councils around New Zealand and funded by the Forest Growers Levy Trust, Te Uru Rakau – New Zealand Forest Service. and WIDE Trust.
Want to talk to your local rep or our national program coordinator?
Contacts
For more information on the Grow Me Programme contact National Coordinator Melina Vlahos.
Phone +64 (0)27 607 1600
Email woodcouncilforestry@gmail.com
Or contact your local wood council rep, see below for your area.
Northland
Please email: info@northlandwoodcouncil.co.nz
Or visit the website: northlandwoodcouncil.co.nz
Hawkes Bay
Please email Keith Dolman: kdolman@novapsi.net.nz
Or visit the website: hbforestrygroup.co.nz/
Southern North Island
Please email Melina Vlahos: woodcouncilforestry@gmail.com
Or call her on 027 607 1600
Visit the website: sniwoodcouncil.co.nz
Marlborough
Please email: info@marlboroughforestry.org.nz
Or visit the website: marlboroughforestry.org.nz
Canterbury & West Coast
Please email Paula Hawkins: canterburywoodcouncil@gmail.com
Or visit the website: cwcwc.co.nz
Southland
Please email: brent.apthorp@southernwoodcouncil.co.nz
Or visit the website: southernwoodcouncil.co.nz
Forestry Big Day Out
The Forestry Big Day Out aims to take interested secondary school students and staff around a range of local sites to highlight the diversity of the local forestry industry and extensive career opportunities available.
This can include:
- Sawmill visits
- Planting, processing & thinning crews in action
- Discussions on biodiversity & management of the forests environmental impacts
- Forestry logistics operations visits
- Observing harvesting operations
- This fully funded forestry field trip, over one day, is tailored to your school needs.
No cost to attend and organised with all PPE and equipment, with local professionals from your Wood Council.
Cornerstone College 2022
Kapiti College & Paraparaumu College 2023
Paraparaumu College 2022
Palmerston North Boys High 2022
Francis Douglas Memorial College 2023
Careers Expos
The forest and tree crop sector is New Zealand’s 3rd largest export earner. We are extremely short of employees in our sector and like to showcase our workplaces and provide information about pathways and options for students and careers teachers at as many school career days and expos as possible. Would you like us at your school? Or see where we will be? See the list below for 2022 and contact us if you would like us to attend your careers event.
School Visits
Working in the forest and tree crop sector does not necessarily mean you have to have acquired a “forestry” based qualification. Many of our sector employees hold experience or qualifications from other sectors that are applied across a wide range of jobs of careers:
- Accounting
- Engineering
- Economics and Marketing
- Environmental Science
- Agricultural skills
- Maths, measurement and statistical analysis
- Machine driving skills
- Truck driving skills
- People management and HR
- Biology and chemistry
- GIS, coding, computer modelling and database management
- Mapping, geography
- Health and safety, physiology and community liaison
- Wood mechanics and wood processing roles
All of these skillsets and careers are applied within our businesses in the tree crop cycle. School subjects are best linked directly to people working in those skill sets and we can help by providing a speaker to attend your school or class and talk about what they do, and how that school subject relates to their job.
In person, zoom in or bring a hands on activity. You let us know, our people love to talk about their jobs and how they got there, we can match the professional to your school and subject.
Work Experience & Ride Along Trips
We offer a range of opportunities for students to meet local reps and get an idea of what it’s like working in New Zealand’s vast forest and tree crop sector. Want to meet an engineer? Or ride in a log truck? Or visit a harvesting crew? We can make this happen and tailor an experience to suit a students interests. All PPE and workplace Health and Safety applies to visits, and students must be age 16 or older to visit this workplaces.
Just curious? Give us a call and we can offer a ride along with a local professional for a teacher or student. Come and see what we do!
GROW ME
READY FOR A CAREER IN FORESTRY?
Join NZ’s fastest growing primary industry
Tertiary Study
University of Canterbury – School of Forestry Christchurch
Canterbury University is the only one in New Zealand to offer a professional forestry degree programme, and students graduating from this are the most sought after in the forest industries of New Zealand. The facilities include teaching and research spaces, Wood Technology precinct, which contains a timber drying and preservation unit, pulp and paper room, and workshop.
Bachelor in Forest Science
The structure of this degree offers exciting opportunities for study in a range of disciplines. The degree is management oriented and requires some study of science, commerce, engineering and sociology subjects.
A range of study in this degree will set you up for many career options, including positions in business, government, consulting and contracting, in fields as wide as conservation, forest management, forest operations and forest policy.
Employers are closely linked to the School of Forestry and most graduating students have full time job offers before their course is even completed.
Bachelor in Forest Science
FIRST YEAR FORESTRY CLASS, IN HANMER FOREST. EXERCISES INCLUDE ESTIMATING THE HEIGHTS AND WIDTHS OF TREES AND CALCULATING THE CUBIC MEASUREMENT OF TIMBER IN A FOREST. CLASS RUN BY JUSTIN MORGENROTH AND NIGEL PINK.
Bachelor (Hons) in Forest Engineering
Forest Engineers help to design, construct and evaluate the operational systems that make the forest industry function. This includes designing and building new roads and forestry equipment, planning harvest operations, integrating new technologies and optimising transport logistics.
It also meaning looking after the environment and planning safe working situations.
Visit video clips
Tertiary Study
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology Rotorua
At Toi Ohomai you can study for the Diploma of Forest Management.
Please visit their website for the full list of opportunities or contact us to understand campus life in Rotorua, and full student funding available.
New Zealand Diploma in Forest Management (Level 6)
With this nationally recognised two-year diploma, you’ll gain the skills and knowledge to work in a technical or management role within the forest growing and harvesting sectors. You could be helping to manage New Zealand’s vast production forest estate – 40% of which is located in the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato regions.
You’ll learn everything about the complex business of forest management, from planting through to harvesting and selling.
Courses and Workplace Training
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology Rotorua
At Toi Ohomai you can choose to study Forestry Operations, Machine driving courses. See here a selection.
Please visit their website for the full list of opportunities or contact us to understand campus life in Rotorua, and full student funding available.
Apprenticeships and Workplace Training
Competenz
Competenz offers apprenticeships. This means you can work in the industry and gain qualifications along the way. Often an employer will contribute to your training.
Compentenz provides training programmes for employees in the workplace. The first two years of industry training will be fees free for eligible learners. Check to see which programmes are included.
Don’t know any employers in the industry? Want more information? We can help. Contact us.
Find more info about Apprenticeships on these pages. Or contact your local wood council to ask about opportunities in your region.
| What | Link |
|---|---|
| Becoming an apprentice means learning a new trade while you work. You might upskill in the same job, or start out in a new one. As an apprentice, you get paid while you learn and earn a trade qualification. | www.competenz.org.nz/jobseekers |
| The Central North Island Wood Council The Generation Programme – a ‘real world’ learning experience combining industry training and employment. | cniwc.co.nz/generation-programme |
| The Eastland Wood Council The Generation Programme – a ‘real world’ learning experience combining industry training and employment. | eastlandwood.co.nz/careers/generation-programme |
What
Becoming an apprentice means learning a new trade while you work. You might upskill in the same job, or start out in a new one. As an apprentice, you get paid while you learn and earn a trade qualification. www.competenz.org.nz/jobseekers
The Central North Island Wood Council The Generation Programme – a ‘real world’ learning experience combining industry training and employment. cniwc.co.nz/generation-programme
The Eastland Wood Council The Generation Programme – a ‘real world’ learning experience combining industry training and employment. eastlandwood.co.nz/careers/generation-programme
Scholarships
| What | Link |
|---|---|
| Southern North Island Wood Council Scholarships | see below |
| New Zealand Institute of Forestry Foundation Scholarships | see below |
| Eastland Wood Council Scholarships | eastlandwood.co.nz/careers/scholarships/ |
| New Zealand Redwood Company Scholarship | www.nzif.org.nz |
| We offer a number of educational scholarships directly linked to our Iwi joint venture partners to support attracting people into forestry education and to advance careers of Maori already working in forestry. | www.matarikiforests.co.nz/about-us/careers/ |
| OneFortyOne offers not only excellent apprenticeship opportunities but also scholarship and graduate programs that are introducing young high achievers to the potential of the industry. | onefortyone.com/working-with-us/careers/graduates-and-students/ |
| Timberlands Scholarships | www.tll.co.nz/scholarships |
Scholarships
Southern North Island Wood Council Scholarships see below
New Zealand Institute of Forestry Foundation Scholarships. See below
MPI Scholarships. See below
Eastland Wood Council Scholarships eastlandwood.co.nz/careers/scholarships/
New Zealand Redwood Company Scholarship www.nzif.org.nz
We offer a number of educational scholarships directly linked to our Iwi joint venture partners to support attracting people into forestry education and to advance careers of Maori already working in forestry. www.matarikiforests.co.nz/about-us/careers/
OneFortyOne offers not only excellent apprenticeship opportunities but also scholarship and graduate programs that are introducing young high achievers to the potential of the industry. onefortyone.com/working-with-us/careers/graduates-and-students/
Timberlands Scholarships www.tll.co.nz/scholarships
Southern North Island Wood Council Scholarships
The Southern North Island Wood Council has a scholarship of $8000 ($2000 each year for four years), for:
- People enrolling in full time relevant industry tertiary study – or
- An employee within the industry who aspires to further training;
to improve their skills, knowledge and value to the employer
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD CRITERIA
Consideration will be given to:
- The qualification and industry pathway
- Academic achievement
- The benefit to the individual and the industry
- Character and leadership potential
- Potential to contribute to the forestry industry in the Southern North Island region
SELECTION PROCESS
Applications will be reviewed. You may be required to attend an interview.
HOW TO APPLY?
2023 Scholarship Now Closed
Apply online for the 2024 scholarship with the button below. If you have any questions about the application please contact us at sniwoodcouncil@gmail.com
Closing date for 2024 scholarship applications is 1 September 2024.
SCHOLARSHIP REGULATIONS
- Southern North Island Wood Council is not obliged to offer a scholarship if, in any year, there is no candidate of sufficient merit.
- The recipient of the scholarship will, if required, take part in publicity activities as required by the Southern North Island Wood Council. These are usually restricted to photo opportunity on announcement of the scholarship award.
- Southern North Island Wood Council may vary these regulations at any time.
Please note: there is an expectation to provide a written report at the end of your 12 month period to the Southern North Island Wood Council outlining your progress. You will be contacted regarding this in due course.
The scholarship is solely administered by the Southern North Island Wood Council.
Stanley Archibald
Stanley Archibald is in his last year of Bachelor of Forest Engineering. Where will he go for 2024, and what will he do? Let's see.
Sophie Cusack
Sophie Cusack now in her second year of Bachelor of Forestry Science, and she has found her people. Mentored by JNL for two summers now, she has plenty of work lined up.
Tegan Hardie
Tegan Hardie is in her 3rd Year of Bachelor of Forestry Science. She spent her summer working in a harvesting crew. Not much she can't do.
Liam Hughes
LIam Hughes has just started his first year of Bachelor of Forestry Science, but with plenty of forestry knowledge already, he is going to be just fine. He's looking forward to working with some well known faces from our Wood Council.
New Zealand Institute of Forestry Foundation Scholarships
These are offered yearly with a total value of $44,500.
The awards open for application are:
- Two Future Forest Scholarships for post graduate research of up to $10,000 each
- The New Zealand Redwood Company Scholarship of $5,000 for an undergraduate scholarship at the University of Canterbury School Forestry
- Invercargill City Forests Awards of up to $5,000 to assist a resident of Invercargill with forestry related study, research or travel relevant to forests or forestry
- Chavasse Travel Award of up to $3,500 to assist a mid-career person to travel overseas or to bring an overseas person to NZ
- Jon Dey memorial award of up to $3,500 to assist research projects in the areas of work study or new technology aimed at improving forest engineering and harvest productivity
- Otago Southland Award of up to $3,000 to assist a project of relevance to forestry in the Otago/Southland region
- Mary Sutherland Scholarship of $1,000 for a polytechnic student
- University Undergraduate Scholarship of $1,000
- Frank Hutchinson Postgraduate scholarship of $1,000
- Student Poster prize at NZIF Conference (1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes of $800, $500 and $200)
New Zealand School of Forestry
The NZIF awards and scholarships have opened with the total value being offered at $24,700. There’s something for everyone with a total of 7 scholarships and awards available. Applications close at 5pm Monday 22nd August.
For more information click on the link: https://www.nzif.org.nz/about-us/nzif-foundation/