Wood products industry faces skills shortage as training places shrink

Finland’s wood products industry is struggling to find skilled workers, particularly in sparsely populated areas, Yle reports. Janne Liias, managing director of the Wood Industry Association, which represents about 250 companies, says firms need workers including surface treatment specialists and engineers.

Liias warned that the shortage could worsen as younger age groups continue to shrink. The industry also faces weak appeal among young people and a poor reputation, which companies say could be improved by highlighting the sector’s use of advanced technology, digitalisation and artificial intelligence.

Training opportunities have declined. The number of vocational education providers offering a basic qualification in the wood industry has halved in a few years, while the number of available places has fallen to just over 120. More than 70 per cent of students and graduates in the field are adults, most of whom already have an education and are considering a career change.

A vocational education funding reform in 2026 will direct funding particularly towards compulsory school-age students and people without an upper-secondary qualification. The system is also moving towards shorter, targeted courses.

Heikki Heiskanen, a wood technology lecturer at LAB University of Applied Sciences in Lahti, said the school had spent a year promoting its programme with partners. About 200 students are enrolled, and around 35 to 40 graduate as engineers each year. The programme is available full-time at the Lahti campus, as well as through flexible studies for people in work.