Whether it’s the lumber used to build your home, the pulp used to make the paper for a letter you wrote to a loved one, or the mulch you applied to help your garden grow, the products we create in Alberta touch people’s lives around the world every day. And the way we manage our forests is one of the most important considerations for the future of our province and the planet.
As an industry, we’re responsible for stewarding one of Alberta’s most important natural resources. The scope of that responsibility calls for all kinds of skills – whatever your strengths and interests are, there’s a rewarding career in forestry waiting for you.
This sector is about maximizing environmental, social, and economic benefits for Albertans today, while making sure those same benefits will also be here for future generations. We work together as a supportive and close-knit professional community – across diverse job types, to secure Alberta’s future on all three fronts.
WOODLANDS OPERATIONS
This side of the industry works to understand forest ecosystems, carefully plan and harvest areas, maintain meaningful relationships with surrounding communities, and grow healthy, diverse forests post-harvest.
If you want a career that takes you out into the wild, this might be the place for you. Scientists, planners, foresters, heavy equipment operators, community liaisons, and many other types of forest industry workers spend much of their working lives outside, immersed in the forests they manage.
PRODUCT MANUFACTURING
Alberta produces some of the best quality forest products in the world.
They range from essential, familiar materials like lumber to emerging materials like bio-methanol – a water-soluble, biodegradable material that can be used to create plastics, dyes, glues, and a wealth of other goods with less environmental impact.
If you’re interested in machinery, technology, engineering, chemistry, or any of the diverse skill sets that go into sustainable manufacturing, you’ll find opportunities here. Alberta’s mills strive to achieve zero waste, develop innovative products and processes, and meet consumer needs with a smaller environmental footprint.
Work Wild is here to help people who are looking for a career they’ll love – whether you’re a high school student evaluating career options for the first time, or looking to make a change in your career.
If you’d like more information about employment opportunities in the forest industry, you can find job profiles, current job postings, scholarships, and more here.
FAQS
How do I start a career in the forest industry?
This is a dynamic, varied sector that includes all kinds of jobs. Where to start depends on what kind of work you want to do, whether that’s working with heavy equipment, trees, spreadsheets, wildlife, or people. Whatever your interests, there’s probably a job for you.
We’re always excited to welcome new people to the industry! If working in the forest sector seems interesting to you, we recommend checking out our partners at Work Wild. You can find information there on different job types, career paths, educational requirements, scholarships current job postings, and more.
Are careers in forestry considered green jobs?
A green job is any career that contributes to a sustainable future, and the forest industry in Alberta is 100% sustainable. Whether you are working on climate change research, developing sustainable forest management plans, planting our future forests, or helping manufacture green products, remaining sustainable and keeping our forests healthy is of the utmost importance to all of Alberta’s forest professionals.
Our sector works hard to provide Albertans with the renewable resources they rely on, while maintaining healthy forests for generations. As stewards of the forest, we take the health of our forest seriously. No matter the career path, our professionals all have common goals—addressing climate change concerns, working towards net-zero carbon, and being an example of sustainable forestry for the world.
Is the forest industry a low-tech industry?
The forest industry has been a high-tech industry for quite some time. Alberta’s forest industry works to apply innovative strategies to address the sectors challenging problems and improve current practices through consistent technological advancement. In the past, forestry professionals started their careers with no cellphones or GPS — just paper maps and a compass! Today’s forest sector is a lot more advanced. Armed with cell phones, tablets, and GPS units, it’s now much easier for foresters to review their maps, identify and mark important features like wildlife habitat or water courses, and define the harvest boundaries while on site. Our sector also uses advanced computer programs to create long-term forest plans that apply historic forest data to predict future fires or the spread of insects and diseases.
Whether we’re virtually mapping forest areas with AI or flying drones to capture regions out of reach to foresters, our sector uses the latest technology to ensure everything we do is efficient, accurate, and most importantly, sustainable.
Alberta Forest Products Association
AFPA is a non-profit association that represents Alberta’s forest industry. We support our members in reaching new heights of sustainability, safety, efficiency and innovation, and we give Albertans opportunities to learn about our forests and the forest industry.
Read more Work Wild is here to help people who are looking for a career they’ll love – whether you’re a high school student evaluating career options for the first time, or looking to make a change in your career.
If you’d like more information about employment opportunities in the forest industry, you can find job profiles, current job postings, scholarships and more here.
Workwild.caDID YOU KNOW?
96% of Alberta’s managed forests (where forest companies operate) are independently certified for sustainability.
Learn more about the forest industry’s sustainable forest management practices.
Forest Management