Keeping it Real at Mike Hurring Training School

Prue Younger, CEO Message

Aiming to address some workforce shortages and training gaps in the Otago/Southland region, Mike Hurring Logging and Contracting partnered with Competenz to deliver practical training for machine operators. Forming the Mike Hurring Training School, the programme has grown and expanded, with continuous new cohorts starting and recruits coming out with practical skills and contracting jobs.

Back in 2013, like a lot of forestry regions, Otago/ Southland’s industry was undergoing increased mechanisation, with expanding crews and new contractors starting up.

Director, Mike Hurring, says that training new recruits was getting more difficult.

“Getting people off the ground and into machines to keep them safe meant it was getting harder to provide those face-to-face training opportunities for new recruits,” he says.

“Basically there was no place to start them off outside of high-pressure machine operating situations.”

Adding to the stresses of businesses, it was becoming more difficult to hold onto more experienced staff, with poaching happening regularly. The reality for many contractors was that everyone was in a machine, including contractors themselves.

“Our high-tech training needs were increasing, plus we were already investing in training, so we needed to find a more sustainable solution,” says Mike.

The company purchased a $130,000 state-of-the-art John Deer E series Simulator, to initially train staff while working towards set-up of a formal training facility with full-time trainer assessor, Nevil Muir, who was already out training up to 40 crews in the South.

“A training classroom and workshop were set up, followed by adding a second simulator machine,” says Competenz Account Manager, Phil Williams.

“There’s a large area with a dedicated Hitachi excavator, with a grapple, a D4 TSK tracked log skidder, a wheeled grapple skidder, a log truck and trailer to practice loading, as well as a Waratah processor and log forwarder when required.”

They then set about getting a group of suitable young industry newcomers, employed by various contractors from Geraldine in the north, to Tuatapere in the south, enrolled in the programme.

“We signed them up for Competenz apprenticeships with their employers, and they agreed to a series of courses (5 weeks over 10 months), covering all apprenticeship theory units plus practical units such as chainsaw skills,” says Phil.

“The aim was to keep it practical and ‘real’, so all students spent time on the simulators as well as the live machines on each block.”

“They did industry visits to see different harvesting methods, sawmills, port operations and engineering workshops too.”

Each cohort completes their level 3 Basic Machine Operator Certificate during the 10 months, with follow up completion of Level 3 Manual Processing and Level 4 Log Loading and Ground Based Extraction when back on their own site. The programme can also be tailored to meet crew requirements (e.g. felling).

When asked what impact it’s had on his business, Mike says it’s been a learning journey for everyone, with positive outcomes overall.

“It has helped our business in terms of gauging whether new recruits are serious about work and having a career in forestry,” he says.

“Being able to bring new people into the industry in a classroom environment that’s non-pressured has been really valuable. Plus it’s been great seeing both males and females come through the programme.”

Phil adds that the support from Forest Owners and Management companies has been great.

“Rayonier, Port Blakely, Ernslaw One, Wenita, Log Marketing and IFS Growth have all contributed to course costs, along with the employing contractors,” he says.

“We’ve also secured funding from the One Billion Trees fund for three more courses. Two are underway, and a third cohort will start early-2021.”

He encourages anyone interested to get in touch.

Mike Hurring Training School - Next cohort starting early 2021

• Cost: Free for participants

• Employer commitment: Employers are responsible for transport cost to Balclutha and accommodation for 5 weeks there

• Time commitment: 5 weeks of training time at the school over a 10-month period

Get in touch with Phil at Competenz in Dunedin to find out more.