By many measures, Finland can be considered a pioneer in the forest industry, and the public has a positive attitude towards the sector and its companies. A survey commissioned by Metsä Board in February 2024 shows that Finns see the Finnish forest industry as a high-quality, environmentally friendly and attractive employer.
"The products we make from northern wood are visible in the daily lives of millions of people, and the results of our survey also show that Finns value the development of the Finnish forest industry. At Metsä Group, we are currently experiencing a period of profitable growth, as we have invested significantly in recent years both in the development of our existing mills and in pilot plants that enable new innovations," says Camilla Wikström, SVP HR at Metsä Board.
As many as 71% of Finns feel that forest industry companies generate significant and diverse innovations. However, students are not yet aware of innovations in the sector, as a workshop organised in April for students from four Universities of Applied Sciences in western Finland revealed that the products they were familiar with were mainly packaging materials that had replaced plastic.
Stable and long careers in the forest industry attract Finns
Innovation also plays an important role in the attractiveness of the sector as an employer. Finns consider competitive wages, innovation in the paper and board industry, and stability and continuity of employment relationships to be the three main attractions of working in the forest industry.
"Careers at Metsä Group are typically long and varied. For example, in production positions, we invest, among other things, in job rotation to make the work as varied as possible. The average working life is about 17 years," says Wikström.
Most of the students at the workshop also said they would like to work for the same employer for as long as possible - even until retirement age.
Career opportunities in the forest industry are attracting interest especially from new entrants
Career changers see forest-based companies as a potential alternative. 44% of those considering career change think that the forest industry offers attractive career opportunities. The corresponding figure for other respondents was 40%.
A majority (69%) of those interested in changing career would also be open to taking part in an apprenticeship training.
"Apprenticeship training is an important recruitment channel for us. It allows us to regularly recruit talented people who are motivated to develop into a wide range of production and maintenance roles. Both recent graduates and those who are changing career can apply," says Wikström.