This spring Pitt Community College (PCC) in Greenville, North Carolina will launch a 12-week course to train logging equipment operators. Graduates of the program will receive a certificate from the North Carolina Association of Professional Loggers (NCAPL) and qualify as an entry-level equipment operator.
The program is a collaboration of PCC’s Continuing Education Div., the NC Agromedicine Institute (NCAI) and NCAPL. Funding for the program will be provided primarily through grants awarded to PCC by the NC Rural Economic Development Center and the NCAI by the Golden LEAF Foundation. The grants, plus additional funds provided by PCC, will cover curriculum development, instructors’ salaries, student tuition and personal protective equipment.
“North Carolina has lost approximately 30% of its logging workforce within the last five years. Even with good markets, equipment availability and professional management, the shortage of qualified operators will limit the growth of logging businesses in the near future,” says Doug Duncan, NCAPL Executive Director. “We need a properly trained workforce with the focus on qualified equipment operators.”
The training is designed to provide the technical and practical knowledge necessary to become a skilled operator. The course will also include training on good work and life skills and behavior. “Our ultimate goal is for our students to find productive work and be able to feed their families,” says Dr. David Lusk, PCC Dean of Continuing Education. According to Lusk, the goal for the first year is to conduct the training twice and produce 25 to 50 trained graduates, with a minimum of 25 employed within three months of course completion.