职业描述：Logging Machinery Operators (824)

At Work
People in this occupation work for logging companies and contractors and in a variety of other industries such as wood manufacturing, construction, pulp and paper manufacturing and retail trade.
Cable yarding system operators use machines to transport trees from logging sites to landing sites and log-loading locations in mountainous terrain.
Mechanical harvester and forwarder operators assess logging sites and drive heavy equipment to perform a combination of felling, slashing, bucking (sawing trees into logs), bunching and forwarding operations at logging sites.
Mechanical tree processor and loader operators use machines to perform a combination of slashing, bucking, bunching, chipping, sorting and loading operations at landing sites.

Education, Training and Experience
People in this occupation may require a high school diploma.

Employers provide them with on-the-job training, which varies from three to 16 months, depending on the type of woodland operation and machinery operated.
Logging machine operators may require heavy equipment operations certification, air brake certification, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) certification and company certification for mobile logging machinery operation.
Mechanical harvester and forwarder operators may require chain saw and skidder operator experience.
Feller buncher and cable yard operators usually require from three to five years' logging experience.
Mechanical tree processor and loader operators usually require one to three years' logging experience.

About this Occupation
10,000 persons were employed in this occupation in 1996, an increase of 8.1% from 1986. Over the same period, employment in all occupations grew by 13.1%.

7% of logging machinery operators work part-time, well below the average of 19% for all occupations.
17% of logging machinery operators are self-employed, compared to an average of 16% for all occupations. The proportion of self-employed workers has increased significantly in this occupation over the last 10 years.
8% of logging machinery operators are women, well below the average of 45% in all occupations.
The unemployment rate in this occupation averaged 17.5% from 1994 to 1996, well above the average of 6.7% for all occupations. These rates are among the highest for technical, paraprofessional and skilled occupations and for occupations in primary industry.
Average earnings of year-round, full-time workers in this occupation in 1995 were $36,200, compared to an average of $35,700 for all occupations. These earnings are among the highest for occupations in primary industry.
The separation rate in this occupation is high, due in large part to the seasonal character of employment.
Employment in this occupation is not very sensitive to overall economic conditions but is moderately seasonal.

Full-Time Earnings

1995 Full-Time Earnings*
$51,900 Highest
$36,200 Average
$17,200 Lowest

* Full-time earnings of the highest 10%, the average and the lowest 10% of workers. $35,700 is the average for all occupations.

Looking to the Year 2001
Current labour market conditions for new entrants in this occupation are fair. Labour market conditions for new entrants will remain fair through 2001.

Labour requirements for this occupation will remain essentially unchanged through 2001.