23 September 2024 programs, collects workforce participation data, and consults with state and federal agencies to align priorities and understand future needs. The objective is actionable state recommendations that would enhance recruitment. Conclusion These collaborative efforts highlight Associated Oregon Loggers’ proactive approach to workforce development, and our commitment to partnering with state educational institutions and agencies to support the logging and forest operations sector. Through innovative training, safety education, and workforce assessment, we are making beginning steps that contribute to improve a future skilled forestry workforce. AOL members, forest operators, and small businesses can take pride in these initiatives that strengthen our industry and support Oregon’s rural economic vitality. t for age-appropriate safety training. The project brings the forest into the classroom, covering personal protective equipment, safety protocols, and basic first aid procedures in a game-learning environment that seeks to improve safety knowledge and workforce readiness. Statewide Forestry Workforce Study Our third effort is the Statewide Forestry Workforce Study. This targeted Oregon study, overseen by the Workforce and Talent Development Board (WTDB, Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission), is a state-funded comprehensive assessment of Oregon’s forestry workforce. The study will evaluate current workforce demographics, needs, and community benefits, while assessing future capacity requirements and challenges. Completed in 2025, the study identifies existing education and training Associated Oregon Loggers (AOL) is proudly working to enhance the forestry workforce, through three significant collaborative efforts with Oregon State University (OSU), OSU Extension, and the State of Oregon. These initiatives highlight our continued commitment to operator workforce development, fostering new partnerships, and involving the state’s public sector to support logging and forestry small business employment. Future Ready Oregon Workforce Ready Grant Our first is a partnership with OSU’s Mechanized Harvesting Laboratory (MHL) through the Future Ready Oregon Workforce Ready Grant, administered by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC). This initiative addresses the logging sector’s lack of formal training opportunities, unclear career paths, and technological gaps—by introducing advanced training programs that integrate new technology with hands-on experiential learning. OSU will offer simulator-based education programs, including certificates for technicians, operators, and high school students. This education program would use forest harvesting machine simulators to address overlapping training needs across employment fields. Virtual Reality Safety Training Through OSU Extension The second initiative involves collaboration with OSU Extension. This project aims to enhance the safety and skills of unexperienced logging workers, and other interested forest workers, through an innovative 3-D immersive training program using Virtual Reality (VR). Given the high rate of injuries and fatalities in logging, particularly among young workers, this program addresses a need Commitment to Workforce Development Through Collaborative Efforts ›By Amanda Sullivan-Astor, Forest Policy Manager Workforce, Human Resources, Labor w c o o r n k Tt f r h o ib r r o c u e u te g a h t s o s i en im s n s o p m v r e a o n t v i t v e , e a w t f e r u a a t i u n re r in e m g s, a k s k i a l i l f n e e d g t y b f o e e r d g e i u s n c t n r a i y t n i w o g n o s, t r a e k n p fo d s r tc h e a . t
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