I
always loved being outdoors – riding dirt bikes and stuff like that – but as a kid, working in forestry wasn’t something I’d ever considered. Last year, though, I did the Rotomā No. 1 course, and through that, I got my first aid certificate, my forklift licence, my working at heights ticket, site safety and my wheels, tracks and rollers endorsement,” says forestry harvesting apprentice Alazae Hayes.
“We spent the first part of the course in the classroom, and then they chucked us in the bush. That’s when I decided I wanted a career in forestry.”
Now blazing a trail at Vanner Logging, Alazae’s success has been a collective effort, with Rotomā No. 1 Incorporation, Timberlands, and training organisation Competenz all playing an integral role.
“I’m pretty proud of how far I’ve come,” says the 21-year-old from Rotorua. “Back in high school, I was making trouble and doing dumb stuff, but now I’ve got a good job, life goals, and I’ve accomplished some really cool things.”
A free pruning and planting course with Rotomā No. 1 Incorporation proved the perfect springboard for Alazae, opening the door to a life-changing apprenticeship.
Competenz Training Advisor, Hamish Gunn, was marking off the programme’s bookwork, and after noticing Alazae’s potential, he decided to give him some more industry exposure.
“Hamish took me and another guy out to visit Kaingaroa Forest to check out a couple of harvesting crews. I was introduced to the Vanner Logging foreman and in-house assessor Conrad ‘Chopper’ Mill, and on his recommendation to the crew owners, got offered a job.”
A perfect fit
For Vanner Logging owners Brett and Heather Vanner, Alazae was just what they were looking for.
“Recruitment is always a battle in forestry, firstly because it’s a very skilled job and secondly because we have an ageing workforce,” says Heather.
“Brett and I have been in the logging business for 15 years, and right from the start, we’ve been looking for people with potential who are keen to progress. They may have zero forestry knowledge, but they’re enthusiastic, keen outdoor types who don’t mind getting their hands dirty.”
Alazae fits the criteria perfectly.
“He was exactly what we wanted. We thought, ‘This young man could have potential’, and boy were we right.”
Since starting with the company in December 2023, Alazae has gone from strength to strength. After a month on the chainsaw marking and grading logs, he was enrolled into an apprenticeship with Competenz. Kaingaroa Timberlands, managers of the largest plantation forest in the Southern Hemisphere, awarded Vanner Logging a generous scholarship to help with his training. Now Alazae is living the dream, driving big machines (he’s currently on a skidder) and making “excellent progress” on his journey to becoming an operator in log loading and mechanised processing.
Alazae says, “Vanner Logging is a marvellous company to work for; they’re helpful, encouraging, and go out of their way to get you anything you need. Plus, working with Chopper is really inspirational – he’s only 29, and...
