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Career opportunities in modern forestry – Perth, Aberdeen, Clydebank 2012
DRAFT Report to FCS/FEI
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN MODERN FORESTRY
Perth, Aberdeen, Clydebank
An Evaluation Report to
Forestry Commission Scotland
Lynnette Borradaile
June 2012
CONTENTS
1Background3
2Event Organisation and Delivery4
2.1Event Promotion and Planning4
2.2Event Delivery6
3Evaluation and Feedback7
3.1Participants7
3.2Contributors8
3.3Issues for the Industry8
4Recommendations9
4.1Organisation & delivery9
4.2Way forward 10
Annex 1Sample text for promotion by SDS team leaders
Annex 2Sample text for joining instructions
Annex 3Event programmes for Perth, Aberdeen and Clydebank
Annex 4Template for Market stall groups & timing
Annex 5 Forestry and Timber Career Opportunities – useful websites
Annex 6Blank evaluation form (2 pages)
Annex 7Summary of Participants’ Evaluation and Feedback
Annex 8Contact list for contributors
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The organisation of these events would not have been anywhere as timely, or (relatively) painless, without the exceptional help and advice given to me by certain individuals. I should particularly like to thank them for sharing their wisdom, contacts and support here – Sally York, James Ogilvie & Bonnie Maggio [FCS], Shireen Chambers & Thalia Bogdanou [ICF], Claire Glaister [RDI], Karen Murray [SDS] and Kat Parfoot. Neither could these have happened without the time and talents of a number of industry facilitators, professionals, businesses and organisations contributing to this event – Angus Ross Furniture/Angus Ross; Deeside Timberframe/Roy Adams; Forestry Commission Scotland/Mike Stracahan, Matt Young, Eva Sparreboom, Calum Murray, Peter Mitchell Gareth Phillips, Helen Stewart; Green Aspirations/Paul Cookson; James Jones & Sons/David Leslie; Haddo Estate/ Susan Shand; Scottish Woodlands/Jean Nairn,; Skills Development Scotland/Stephen Mann; Woodland Trust/Gill Aitken. I should also like to thank all those ‘go betweens’ within the local authorities, Skills Development Scotland and Forestry Commission Scotland – who played a key role in disseminating information and networking with people/groups likely to be interested, but may not realise the benefits of their contribution. Last but not least I thank our hosts at SNH Battleby Centre, Perth; SAC Craibstone, Aberdeen, and Clydebank College, Cunard Riverside Suite and their managers – Mel, Elspeth & Fiona.
1BACKGROUND
1.1Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) is concerned about the decline of new entrants to the forestry and timber industry in particular at the graduate end of the employment supply chain. FCS recognises its role in promoting to young people opportunities for working within the forestry and timber industries. It encourages, and supports, closer working by the forestry and timber sectors with schools in a number of ways, including the Forest Education Initiative cluster groups across Scotland.
1.2In a careers context, FCS is working in partnership with others (eg. Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Forest and Timber Technologies Group and LANTRA) providing information on careers for young people in active and engaging ways; a further identified gap has been the availability of information on career opportunities in modern forestry, for those advising young people through schools, colleges, special youth employability projects and job centres.
1.3As a consequence, following a pilot Careers Workshop, targeted primarily at Skills Development Scotland (SDS) Career Advisors and Guidance staff from secondary schools across the SDS South East operational area (Edinburgh City, West, Mid and East Lothian and Scottish Borders), in November 2010, it was decided to roll ‘the model’ out across Scotland.
1.4During 2011/2012, in the absence of specific interest in any FEI Cluster Group, a contractor was engaged to deliver three workshops of a similar nature to be delivered across the rest of Scotland. The location, date, timing, content and programme was drawn together based on advice and contacts provided by local FCS and SDS staff, FEI Cluster groups, Rural Development Initiatives staff, and other colleagues. The final dates, locations and SDS areas served were:
- SNH Battleby Centre, Perth – 9 March - Central Scotland - Fife, Perth & Kinross, Angus (part), Dundee City, Clackmannanshire and Stirlingshire
SAC Craibstone Campus, Aberdeen – 22 March – North East Scotland - Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus (part), and Morayshire.
- Clydebank College, Clydebank – 17 May – West Scotland - East & West Dunbartonshire, Argyll & Bute (part), Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, and Stirlingshire (part).
1.5This report aims to provide feedback on how the model worked generally, what changes were made and why, and in particular what issues relating to careers in the forest and timber industry were raised, that may be addressed by the industry, and/or by FCS, and/or through partnership with key stakeholders e.g. SDS, for the future. A summary of the participants’ evaluations for each of the 3 events is provided and the raw data will be handed over to FCS with this report.
2EVENT ORGANISATION & DELIVERY
2.1Event Promotion & Planning
2.1.1The setting up of the event was purposely not complicated, in order to allow similar events to be easily replicated within other geographic areas of Scotland. In the event - this was generally the case in practice, the main challenge was getting a suitable venue – due to the spaces required and, where possible, easy access to the outdoors.
2.1.2Event Promotion - The recruitment of attendees would not have been as straightforward without the willingness of Skills Development Scotland [SDS] Regional staff /Team Leaders to support the event, and provide access through their networks to reach the necessary target audiences, and to contribute to promoting the event. It was an organic process and new audiences within these networks showed interest in attending – including Job Centre staff, training agencies, Capability Scotland, SCVO, 16+ Learning Coordinators, employability workers, and Youth workers. Even so, considerable ‘toing and froing’ of e mails was required – asking for a last minute reminder to be sent round – worthwhile since several more bookings emerged. One learns that people do not sign up until the last minute!
2.1.3The events were promoted to LANTRA and Scottish Enterprise, but no representatives were able to attend. Skills Development Scotland National office managed to be represented at two of the events, and by agreement also represented the interests of SQA.
2.1.4Bookings - In the event, bookings were taken direct from intending participants by the contractor, due to the lack of administrative support at FCS HQ. Individual/multiple bookings could be made by phone or e mail, and kept separately for each event – no paperwork was involved. Bookings were taken right up to the day before, largely due to the small numbers, and the wish to bring in as many as possible. Lists of names, role/ organisation/ location, and contact e mail only were made – this was sufficient acknowledge every booking, and to enable joining instructions to be sent out by e mail at a later date. Annex 1 provides the text used to promote the event. Annex 2 provides general text for the pre-event joining instructions sent to participants and contributors - maps of the venues were also provided, but not included here.
2.1.5Cancellations & non – turn ups– this can be quite an issue for free events – there is a tendency not to value an event in the same way, if it is free. An approach taken by other organisations (Youth Scotland) is to make it clear in the booking instructions that if people do not turn up on the day, and have not informed the organiser in advance (24 hours/on the day if its an emergency), that they will beinvoiced and charged the real cost e.g. say £65, which makes them think a bit more carefully about not turning up, or finding a stand-in!
2.1.6Using local & national contacts - Once again the contractor relied heavily on those familiar with the issues and with some association with the careers and qualifications of the industry, and the education/training agency sector, notably Sally York, Claire Glaister, James Ogilvie and Shireen Chambers in finding the right people for the presentations and the marketplace. In Aberdeen, the great success of the ‘market place’ stalls was due to contacts provided through the FEI Cluster Group – local knowledge and contacts. Otherwise, it was the contractors networks and contacts for Perth, and Clydebank.
2.1.7Programme evolution - The presenters and stall holders were not the same for the 3 events. The presenters had to change due to people’s availability. Sally and James were able to cover each other’s inputs, and Claire was able to deliver at every event – this was a key presentation, and there was no ‘stand in’! Early feedback from Perth suggested that audience were far more focussed on school leavers. The Institute of Chartered Foresters input, was finally replaced by a short presentation from Skills Development Scotland – showcasing their ‘My World of Work’ website, but also a poster to be developed in partnership with SDS illustrating entry levels and qualifications – a result of networking before the last event. Claire inserted a piece on ICF into her presentation.
2.1.8Number and variety of ‘market stalls’/’speed dates’ - The number of stalls was controlled largely by the time constraints and logistics of the venue, in relation to the distribution of spaces and moving people between the spaces. It was much easier where the venue had been visited beforehand, and would recommend this as an essential requirement – following the Clydebank venue and a participant with a hearing impairment unfortunately being disadvantaged. The table below summarises the representatives at each venue.
PERTH / ABERDEEN / CLYDEBANKFCS – Conservancy / FCS – District and apprentice / FCS District
Woodland Trust – NGO / Haddo Estate – Estate Manager / FCS - Apprenticeships
Angus Ross Furniture Design / Aberdeen City Arborist Team - outdoors / West Dunbartonshire Arborist team
Scottish Woodlands - commercial / James Jones & Sons – harvesting & sawmill products / Green Aspirations – social enterprise - small business
Deeside Timberframe / James Jones & Sons – harvesting & sawmill products
2.1.9 With regard the range of ‘stalls’ - after Perth, effort was put into attracting input from the timber technology side of the industry, and small business, and to drop the NGO representation, due to the lack of current employment opportunities. The balance was different at each event, but the last two events seemed to work better. Annex 3 provides all 3 programmes as they ran, indicating presenters and industry representatives.
2.1.10 Fees and Expenses - Presentations, or vehicles such as the ‘market place’, when hosting a low cost event, have to rely on individual/ organisation/ business goodwill, and contribution ‘in kind’ of people’s travel and time costs. The same people cannot be called upon too often to contribute, but you can capture and build on the experience of what they did, and what people want to know. This was the challenge for 3 events in 2012, over a contracted period of time.
2.1.11 Over the 3 events, the small businesses were paid for their travel and time, and one of the presenters for travel. The larger commercial companies did not charge for their time or travel expenses. James Jones even volunteered to come to Clydebank, which is very positive in the current business climate. However, this indicates that a certain budget should be planned for fees and expenses, as well as hire of the venue and refreshments in future.
2.1.12 Handouts - The only handout was that provided with a selection of websites largely for the forestry industry. It was suggested that this might be improved after the2012 events, by adding in some of the larger commercial timber and forest management companies (Jean Nairn provided a list of names– provided on e mail), and also a list of trade publications where apprenticeships and jobs are advertised (list of publications provided by Paul Cookson - on feedback sheet). Annex 5 provides the current text for the Careers Websites handout developed for the event in 2010, updated for 2012, but without the additions suggested above.
2.2Event Delivery
2.2.1Arrangements were made for the delivery of folders, badges, and banners early on the day. Setting up of spaces and registration took about an hour. At Perth/Battleby Centre, to facilitate the use of projection facilities and their smooth running, technical support was made available, but it also meant speakers needed their presentations virus checked – either sent in advance, or arriving early on the day. Elsewhere, projection facilities were available without virus checking, and support as required. All stall holders were asked for their IT/stand needs before the event.
2.2.2Time-keeping - Organising a half day event is not easy due to the inevitable time constraints. All but the Perth event seemed to be a little rushed, and the feedback on timing and organisation of workshops reflects this. The 4 rather than 5 stalls at Perth enabled a more leisurely pace. A strategy for time keeping was essential – speakers were kept to time with flash cards, and ‘speed dating’ around the stalls by a Yak bell (less painful than a whistle, but still not ideal!). We always finished by 1pm, normally by 12:45pm.
2.2.3‘Speed Dating’ Logistics – the pilot indicated that it is difficult to repeat the same presentation with enthusiasm, more than four times, and that 10-15 minutes was really too short. Over the 2012 events we tried experimentation with four groups and more than four groups. Given the overall time restriction (one hour 30 minutes), and the requirement for 15-20 minutes per stall, the optimum appears to be 5 groups, giving each stall a break during the period. People still felt it was rushed, but most appreciated the time constraints on the organisers. Annex 4 provides the template for the market stall groups and timing logistics.
2.2.4Seating - Following comments from the pilot about the length of time standing was too long during the marketplace session, we managed to keep group sizes to around 8, and to provide chairs at most of the stall locations, only at one stall was standing required due to fire regulations in the space.
3EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK
3.1Participants
“Excellent delivery from well informed professional staff”
3.1.1Evaluation forms (see Annex 6) were distributed in the folders and participants asked to complete them before leaving. Names were optional in order to encourage more honest feedback. Almost 100% return of evaluation forms was achieved – unexpected! A summary analysis is provided in Annex 7.
3.1.2Overall the result was reassuring, with overall satisfaction (ranks 5 and 4 combined) with the event meeting its stated purpose, at over 90% at all 3 events. Possibly we improved with each event - completely satisfied (rank 5) Perth = 22%, Aberdeen 56% and Clydebank 76%? The aspects of the workshop people found most useful were varied, but there was consensus on the value of face- to -face interaction with people who know their industry, and how people appreciated better the variety of work opportunities in the industry by attending the event
3.1.3At each of the 3 events, the majority of participants (over 80%) felt the event had fulfilled its stated purpose and that the content was relevant – more so at Aberdeen and Clydebank, which may reflect the changes we made. Over 70% were satisfied with the timing, but the greater variation in satisfaction reflected how half a day is insufficient to do the forest/timber industry justice! Over 80% were generally satisfied with the information and resources provided, although there were several requests for a summary document and suggestions to improve the handout provided. Over 80% thought the venue and administration for the event were near excellent – Clydebank came out least well as a choice of venue. The time of year was felt more satisfactory in Aberdeen and Clydebank than in Perth – this may reflect more school and SDS representatives at Perth compared to the other 2 venues.
This has been very well organised and is one of the better events I have been to along the lines of career opportunities in a specific sector. [Perth delegate]
The main concerns/weaknesses were as expected:
- Timing/structure - the constraint half a day events put on covering a wealth of content.
- Timing/structure – 15-20 minutes was still too short to cover the content and ask questions at the market stalls,
- Venue/organisation – where more than one market stall was in the same area, it was quite hard to concentrate on those speakers with quieter voices;
- Information/resources – As with the pilot there was a request for more specific information/direction in presenting particular career opportunities and career pathways linked to the market stalls, or more generally linked to the different levels of qualifications – the poster should address this gap.
The event was very informative, however I felt I would have liked a bit more time with each group, also the venue was just a bit small, and distracted a bit by other groups (noise level). [Clydebank delegate]