How will personnel for the timber industry be trained in 2025?

Despite automation and digitalization, the forestry industry still needs qualified specialists. This is a pressing issue that prompts many companies to create conditions for training personnel starting from school.

The problem of personnel shortage

The average age of forestry workers is 45 years, and the workload per specialist sometimes exceeds the average. For example, in the Kirov region, there are 8.5 thousand hectares per worker - four times more than the national average.

Young people do not always choose professions related to the forestry industry due to the level of salaries, working conditions and the need to solve problems that require a deep understanding of the specifics of the industry.

Ways to solve the problem

The following steps are taken to attract and retain specialists:

  • Support for young people. Work is underway with universities, schools, and technical schools. For example, specialized classes and school forestries are organized.
  • Internships. Employers offer preferential terms for students and paid internship programs.
  • Social measures. Large companies are expanding their benefit packages, including assistance with housing, voluntary health insurance, and financial support.

New educational initiatives

The system of training personnel for the forestry industry is actively developing:

  • New standards. Over the past ten years, the number of budget places in forestry specialties has increased by 25%. 12 new federal standards for secondary specialized education have been introduced, and universities have added areas at the intersection of forestry and digital technologies.
  • Practice-oriented training. The "Professionalism" program allows students to master modern technologies directly in production. This method is successfully used in colleges in the Vologda and Arkhangelsk regions, and the Komi Republic.
  • Forestry classes. Specialized classes are opening in schools in the northwestern regions of Russia. In the Vologda region, they appeared in 15 schools in 2024, and in Novodvinsk in the Arkhangelsk region. Their goal is to popularize forestry professions and train future specialists.

Changes at the state level

Since 2025, an increase in the salaries of forestry workers is expected. According to the plan of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, by 2030 the average salary of Rosleskhoz employees will reach 56.3 thousand rubles. However, experts believe that this is not enough and propose more radical measures:

  • return the distribution of students after training;
  • make all places in specialized universities budget-funded, but with mandatory work experience in the industry;
  • implement mortgage support programs to retain young specialists.

Thus, to solve the personnel problem of the forestry industry complex, a comprehensive approach is needed: joint work of the state, business and educational institutions. This will help strengthen the prestige of the profession and attract a new generation to the industry.