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V O L . X X V I I N O. X V I I I A U G U S T 2 3 , 2 0 2 1 16 G R E AT E R B A N G O R / N O R T H E R N M A I N E Hands-on program helps fill workforce pipeline in $600M logging industry L ogging industry veteran Mike Nadeau employs a little more than 20 people at White Oak Inc., a logging and trucking company he co- owns in the Aroostook County town of St. Francis. Last year when Nadeau needed another skidder operator to remove cut trees from wooded areas, he hired a graduate of a 12-week certificate pro- gram who hit the ground running from Day One — saving his firm around $50,000 in training costs. e new employee "was further along than the guy driving the skidder for two years because he learned it the right way," says Nadeau, who looks back on 40 years in the industry. "It's a very good program that's bringing young people back into this industry, which we need." He knows that need firsthand, from running a firm that once employed more than 40 people, and describes the past year as a "nightmare" with demand for hardwood pulp way down because people are using less paper. White Oak nevertheless remains busy, and Nadeau hopes the certificate program gets funding to expand. e hands-on program, launched in 2017, was developed jointly by the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine and Northern Maine, Eastern Maine and Washington County F O C U S REGIONAL ROUNDUP Training tomorrow's loggers / SCORE Bangor chapter check-in / P.I. financial firm update B y R e n e e C o r d e s P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F P RO F E S S I O N A L L O G G I N G C O N T R A C T O R S O F M A I N E It's a very good program that's bringing young people back into this industry, which we need. — Mike Nadeau White Oak Inc. A 12-week certification program is helping train future loggers, giving them the skills they need to go right into jobs.

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