LP Building Solutions to continue ForestryWorks partnership

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A piece of heavy equipment moving chopped down and stripped tree trunks next to evergreen trees. — A stock image of forestry work. (Canva)

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — More investment in education will come for a building products company with a heavy presence in the Peace region.

LP Building Solutions, a company with mills in both Fort St. John and Dawson Creek, announced during National Forest Products Week in Nashville, Tennessee that it will expand its partnerships with ForestryWorks and the First Nations Forestry Council on Wednesday, October 22nd.

Founded in the 1970s, LP Building Solutions has had a presence in Dawson Creek with an oriented strand board (OSB) wood plant siding mill since 1987, which was converted into a siding plant in 2019, and an OSB mill in Fort St. John since 2005.

ForestryWorks is part of the Forestry Workforce Training Institute, founded in 2018 with its headquarters in the U.S. state of Alabama.

Its aim is to “provide education, career awareness and hands-on training to build a strong pipeline of skilled forestry workers.”

The First Nations Forestry Council will continue to provide scholarships for First Nations students in the Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program.

BC First Nations Forestry Council chief executive officer Lennard Joe said LP Building Solutions’ investment “reflects a commitment to workplace diversity.”

“We’re pleased to welcome LP Building Solutions as a program partner in advancing Indigenous participation in forestry through the Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program,” said Joe.

“As we expand our scholarship program to include both academic and trades streams, partnerships like this are key to creating long-term employment opportunities for First Nations across the province.”

LP Building Solutions’ representatives issued a statement to Energeticcity.ca, saying the partnership “combines classroom learning with a paid practicum and mentorship from industry professionals.”

Additionally, LP Buildings Solutions chair and chief executive officer Brad Southern said: “Programs like ForestryWorks and the First Nations Forestry Council help ensure forests remain healthy and productive while supporting the future of sustainable forestry.

“By investing in tomorrow’s workforce, we’re also investing in continued success of renewable, high-performance building solutions.”