West Virginia University’s Appalachian Hardwood Center will again offer a six-day Certified Logger Training Program in Morgantown. The sessions will run weekdays May 7 through May 14.

“The logging workforce is undergoing a transformation and requires new well-trained people to provide raw materials to help traditional forest products industries and help new green energy facilities to grow and prosper,” said Ben Spong, a WVU Extension Specialist with the AHC and one of the event’s organizers.

This Certified Logger Training Program provides an excellent introduction, including basic logging skills training and the required training for certification by the state.

“With this training and certification, you will be well positioned to start a career as a logging professional,” Spong said, recommending the training for anyone who is “underemployed, a private forest landowner, a student and most anyone else interested in the field of logging.”

Training will include an industry overview, a look at best management practices for logging, CPR and first aid training for loggers, equipment operation basics, OSHA compliance training for loggers and chainsaw operation and safety.

Participants in the course will receive: instruction and hands-on training; personal protective equipment including chainsaw chaps, hard hats, gloves, boots, and other supplies; payment of West Virginia Division of Forestry Certification application (good for two years); and networking opportunities and job placement assistance.

There are no enrollment costs for this program, which is being offered with the support of the U.S. Department of Labor, Workforce WV and the West Virginia Community and Technical College System. Participants will be required to get to and from the primary training location, at the WVU Research Forest at Coopers Rock and provide their own lunch. Prospective participants should keep in mind that the training may feature difficult working conditions on uneven ground in all weather conditions.

While the course is free, space is limited, and enrollment will be on a first-come, first served basis. To register, please contact Ben Spong at 304.293.9425 or ben.spong@mail.wvu.edu.

The training, with funding coordinated by the West Virginia GREEN-UP Council, will be offered again in the Elkins area in July.

-WVU-

dw/04/23/12

CONTACT: Ben Spong; Appalachian Hardwood Center
304.293.9425, ben.spong@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.