Funded by the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, a three-year pan-European project, called Forest Business Innovation and Advancement (FOBIA), will see Euan Bowditch and Elspeth McDonald, part of Inverness College UHI’s Forestry Research department, work with forestry contractors, harvesters and tree planters from the private sector in Scotland to identify knowledge gaps and new opportunities.
The partnership, which involves the University of the Highlands and Islands, the Natural Resources Institute (LUKE) in Finland, Swedish Agricultural University (SLU) in Sweden, and the Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland, met at Inverness College UHI recently.
Skills assessments will take place in all four countries, culminating in the creation of a digital education platform which will include new training opportunities, examples of best practice, partnership working models and planning tools.
“This is a really exciting project as it will culminate in a tool which will enable forestry service providers to upskill their staff, become more productive, expand their business opportunities and diversify,” said researcher Euan Bowditch. “We are working closely with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Norbord as well as other forestry service providers.”
Partners will meet again in Umeå, Sweden this month.
The Scottish School of Forestry, part of Inverness College UHI, supports growing research in timber technology, forest biodiversity and forests and people. The research team is developing postgraduate research and applied research with strong industry links and community engagements.
Hales gains NVQ
Julian Parton of Hales Sawmills was recently presented with his NVQ qualification, reflecting the company’s commitment to producing and supplying quality preservative treatments for its timbers.
The NVQ Diploma in Wood Preserving (Construction) is designed for experienced plant managers and operators. It requires assessment of an individual’s ability to carry out a range of work to the performance criteria that has been agreed by the industry. The NVQ qualification is an integral requirement from the UK Wood Protection Association for those companies looking to treat timbers under the UK Highways Agency Sector Scheme 4.
“Hales has had major investment over the last few years in extending and upgrading our timber treatments facilities,” said Mr Parton. “The NVQ training is a further example of our commitment to making sure the preservative treated timbers we supply are fit for purpose within our markets. Highways Agency projects form a major part of our supply chain and we are one of only a few companies with full accreditations in place to supply treated timbers to meet Sector Scheme 4 requirements.”
“Achieving the NVQ qualification demonstrates the company’s drive for quality,” said Rory Milne, UK & Ireland sales manager at Lonza Wood Protection. Lonza is the only wood preservative supplier to offer its customers direct NVQ level training.
