PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Spaces remain available for Northern Maine Community College’s Mechanized Logging Operations summer 2022 cohort, scheduled to begin June 27 in the woods of Passadumkeag, approximately 20 miles northeast of Old Town.
Supported by the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, students pay no tuition or fees and the program provides all required personal protective equipment. The Jobs Plan supports skilled in-demand and high-wage occupations in Maine through a variety of training opportunities.
The program graduated 12 students in September of 2021 at a ceremony held at the job site, where students will return this summer to receive 12 weeks of training. Accepted students will spend the summer and early fall in the woods gaining hands-on logging experience and benefiting from the guidance of veteran logging instructors. The curriculum and training are designed to prepare graduates for seamless entrance into a high-demand workforce.
Students also gain a broad knowledge of the most common mechanical systems found in modern timber harvesting equipment, and an understanding of the variables of timber growth, tree species, and markets. The program includes a strong emphasis on safety.
“Maine has a rich logging history, and our students enjoy a sense of purpose from learning about and working in Maine’s woods,” NMCC Instructor Donald Burr said. “This is an exciting and challenging career path, and we’re looking for reliable applicants ready to commit to a future of working in the wilderness.”
Demand remains high for skilled operators of mechanized logging equipment such as feller-bunchers, harvesters, grapple skidders, forwarders, or delimbers. These heavy machines now harvest more than 95 percent of all timber in Maine. Many current operators are reaching retirement age and the steep costs of training new operators are driving up demand and wages. Mechanized logging operators are among the highest-paid members of the logging workforce.
Those interested in applying for NMCC’s Mechanized Logging Operations Program should visit //nmcc.edu/industry-customized-training/mechanized-forest-operations/ or contact Leah Buck with any questions at 207-768-2768 or nlbuck@nmcc.edu.
