“We think it's important to contribute so that the local community can benefit from nearby forestry operations,” says Edson Leonardo Martini, CEO of Komatsu Forest in Brazil. The initiative consists of two different training programs – one underway and the other already completed.
In the current program, 30 people between the ages of 18 and 21 from rural southern Bahia have begun a course that will prepare them for the region's labor market, which is dominated by forest-based industries. They are being trained in the operation and maintenance of forestry machines.
The other forestry training program involved 47 people – 25 operators and 22 mechanics. Here as well, the participants were paid, received meals and transportation between their communities and training sites. Participants also received the personal safety equipment required for working in the forestry industry.
The initiative is part of a strategy for strengthening the opportunities for local communities to become involved in the forestry operations that dominate their region.
