25/09/2026
GPFS Employment Support β Growing the Next Generation of Forestry!
Another awesome Forestry Exposure Experience this week, this time welcoming rangatahi from Youth to Men out into the forest to see firsthand what a career in forestry can look like.
A huge mihi to Lee Christison from FMNZ, who was once again an amazing host. Lee took the time to guide the boys through the operation, share his industry knowledge and, most importantly, encourage them to ask questions, be curious and learn as much as they could from the people working around them.
We were privileged to visit Shane, Toby and the team at K&S Beard Logging, who are running a tight, safe and productive operation. The boys absolutely loved seeing the swing yarder operation in action and getting a real understanding of how the different roles, machinery and people all come together on a harvesting site.
They even got to see the team from The Engineering Co. HB Ltd in action, working on getting a machine back up and running β another great example of just how many different skills, trades and career opportunities sit behind a successful forestry operation.
A big thank you also to FMNZ for continuing to open the gates to their forests and support these experiences. Having our industry willing to give rangatahi genuine access to active operations, experienced people and real conversations about forestry careers is what makes these opportunities so valuable.
And of course, a huge mihi to Lewis and Youth 2 Men. The work you are doing to guide, encourage and empower these young men towards positive and sustainable employment pathways aligns so strongly with what we're trying to achieve through GPFS Employment Support.
For these rangatahi, this is just the beginning.
The Exposure Experience gives them the opportunity to see the industry before choosing the industry β to understand the environment, the expectations, the mahi and the opportunities available to them.
From here, we'll work alongside those who are genuinely interested in taking the next step, helping them become work-ready and building the pathway towards training and sustainable employment within our forestry industry.
At GPFS, we believe our next generation of forestry professionals need more than someone telling them what's possible. They need the opportunity to see it, experience it and meet the people already doing it.
NgΔ mihi nui to everyone who continues to open doors and invest their time into growing our future workforce. π±π²
Exposure β Training β Employment β Support
