Engineered wood products & the future skills needed

ForestWorks to Investigate Skills Need in the Manufacturing of Engineered Wood Products. Australia’s forestry and timber sector has always evolved in response to changing markets, technologies and community needs. Today, engineered wood products (EWPs) are emerging as an increasingly important part of that story.

Products such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL), glue-laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) are creating new opportunities for timber manufacturing and construction. Around the world, these products are helping drive innovation in off-site manufacturing, prefabrication and sustainable building design, while creating new possibilities for how timber is used in residential, commercial and infrastructure projects.

In Australia, interest in engineered timber continues to grow, supported by national conversations around housing supply, advanced manufacturing, productivity and low-carbon construction. Government and industry initiatives have increasingly recognised the potential role of engineered wood products in supporting future housing and construction needs.

For the forest and wood products sector, this presents both opportunities and questions.

As manufacturing technologies evolve, so too do workforce requirements. New production systems, increased automation, digital technologies and advanced manufacturing processes require workers with specialised knowledge and skills. At the same time, businesses need practical and accessible training pathways that support both new entrants and existing workers to adapt to changing workplace requirements.

Questions are beginning to emerge across the industry:

• Do current training pathways adequately support engineered wood product manufacturing?
• Are there barriers preventing greater participation in vocational education and training?
• How can recognition of existing skills and experience be improved?
• What workforce capabilities will be needed as engineered wood products become more widely adopted?
• How can industry attract and develop the workforce needed for future growth?

These are important considerations for employers, workers, training providers and industry representatives alike.

The sector also faces broader workforce challenges. Like many industries, forestry and wood processing must attract the next generation of workers while retaining valuable experience and knowledge. There are opportunities to strengthen career pathways, increase workforce diversity and encourage greater participation in regional communities where many timber manufacturing businesses are located.

Understanding future skills requirements will be essential to ensuring that Australia’s forest and wood products sector is well positioned to support innovation, productivity and growth.

ForestWorks is interested in hearing from people and organisations working within the engineered wood products sector, including manufacturers, processors, designers, builders, researchers, training providers and industry organisations.

By sharing experiences and insights, industry can help build a clearer picture of current capabilities, emerging workforce needs and future opportunities across the engineered wood products value chain.

Have Your Say

Are you involved in engineered wood products? We would like to hear about:

• Current workforce and skills challenges
• Training and qualification needs
• Recognition of prior learning and workforce mobility
• Emerging technologies and manufacturing practices
• Future workforce demand and career pathways
• Examples of innovation and best practice

If you work in the engineered wood products sector and would like to share your experience or participate in future conversations, we encourage you to get in touch with the ForestWorks team.

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Source: ForestWorks