The campaign introduces young people to the diverse opportunities in the industry. People working in various forest industry companies, school ambassadors and students from the industry visit middle and high schools to talk about work and study opportunities in the forest industry and to present products made from wood. The aim is to increase awareness of the industry and encourage young people to consider the career options offered by the forest industry.
– The school ambassadors represent a wide range of positions, from factory production to design and business management. During their visits, they talk about their own educational and career paths. This opens up the diversity of the field and offers young people relatable examples, says the campaign’s project manager, communications specialist at the Finnish Forest Industries Association. Kati Kuusisto
The forest sector offers meaningful career paths
– Young people increasingly value opportunities to influence socially significant issues. The forest sector offers a diverse range of job opportunities that can promote a more sustainable future, from practical work to research and from production to design. Experts are needed at all levels of education, from professionals to those with higher education, says the Finnish Forest Industries Federation's education and skills expert. Venla Kaplas.
– More than half of the personnel in the forest industry operating in Finland have a secondary education, and there is currently a need for forest machine operators and timber truck drivers in particular. Industry professionals
"They not only care about forest nature and wood flows, but also about the profitability of the economy and export revenues," Kaplas continues.
There is demand for the campaign's renewed presentation material and product portfolio
This year, the campaign's presentation material and product portfolio have been renewed. The product portfolio, which will be opened in school classrooms, includes current product samples from forest industry companies, which are clearly in demand in schools. Youth Forest Barometer 2025 The results show a surprising lack of awareness of how central wood-based products are to everyone's everyday life. Many young people do not recognize that hygiene, clothing or packaging products, for example, are wood-based. This speaks to the need to make the role of forests visible as an enabler of sustainable everyday solutions.
Wood is a versatile material in numerous products that can replace materials made from fossil raw materials. Every Finn uses wood-based products every day. In addition to toilet paper and printed products, wood can be used to make, for example, apartment buildings, medicines, sausage casings, cellophane and textiles.
The campaign is implemented in collaboration with:
The Finnish Forest Industry Association, the Finnish Forestry Association, Wood Processing Engineers and the forest industry companies Metsä Group, Stora Enso Oyj, UPM-Kymmene Oyj, DS Smith Packaging Finland Oy, Koskisen Oy, MM Kotkamills, HASA Oy, Sappi Kirkniemi, Versowood Oy, Tornator Oyj and Tervakoski Oy. This year, Koneyrittäjät ry and Metsuritrio are also participating.
