| The South Scotland Forest Industries Cluster (SSFIC) represents the interests of those involved in, or associated with, the forest industries throughout Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway and the Scottish Borders. Through financial support provided by Scottish Enterprise, it seeks to promote initiatives and ideas identified by those people who work in the industry and to make things happen!
SSFIC is run by industry people for industry people. It meets quarterly at venues in south Scotland and is open to all enthusiastic and dynamic individuals who have something to contribute by way of ideas, support or effort.
SSFIC Priorities
1. Promote the industry to local councillors and MSPs
2. Influence current IFS process in D&G
3. Promote SRDP opportunities for the industry
4. Continue pioneering HR work with contractors
5. Host quarterly meetings on topical matters
6. Organise more site visits – sawmills, harvesting etc.
The next meeting of the South Scotland Forest Industries Cluster will be on the evening of Tuesday 16th March at the Queen's Hotel, Lockerbie. The meeting will cover two topics.
The proposed Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is an initiative which UK government currently have out to consultation until 26th April. If implemented the RHI will provide an incentive payment (tariff) for a range of renewable heating technologies (including wood-fired systems) to support renewable heating at all scales, including households, businesses, offices, public sector buildings and industrial processes in large factories. The Incentive will most likely be funded through a levy on fossil fuels and will be paid to the owner of the equipment. The RHI is intended to be launched in April 2011 and the government have committed that it will remain open for new projects until at least 2020.
The tariffs illustrated in the consultation document (http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/rhi/rhi.aspx) suggest that the RHI will precipitate a significant migration to the use of woodfuel in all its forms and the demand for and value of wood for use as a fuel will inevitably increase. This represents both a huge opportunity for the forest industry to add value to the timber resource and a potential challenge to maintain timber supplies to its traditional markets.
Where will the balance lie and what messages should SSFIC feed back to government by 26th April in a response to its consultation? Renewable Energy Consultant, Steve Luker, will walk us through the pros and cons of the RHI as he sees them and a lively discussion around the subject is anticipated.
The SRDP Rural Priorities Workshops currently being staged jointly by the Cluster and FCS around south and mid-Scotland are intended to explore the opportunities available to forestry-related businesses. Funding opportunities from forestry roads to machinery and equipment purchase to product development, business diversification and innovation will all have been examined. It is the intention that these opportunities are made more widely known to the industry and the most likely routes to successful funding clearly sign-posted for others to follow.
South Scotland Conservator, John Dougan, will summarise the primary opportunities identified in the workshops and the meeting will be advised of what plans are in place for accessing information to assist others to successfully navigate a route to Rural Priorities funding for initiatives which will benefit individuals and businesses in the forest industry.
As usual, there will be a free buffet at 6.15pm (please arrive at 6pm) ahead of the meeting at 6.45pm for those who advise me they should like to partake of the buffet. charliefulton44@hotmail.com
The last meeting of the South Scotland Forest Industries Cluster (SSFIC) was held in Lockerbie on the evening of 11th November and had as its subject a new report entitled ‘The Future of the Forest Workforce in Scotland’. The report, which was commissioned jointly by Scottish Enterprise and Forestry Commission Scotland, is not yet published but should be in the public domain by the end of this year it was explained. An audience of some 70 forestry people including a good number of forestry contractors heard a presentation from Mark Smither and Charlie Fulton who co-wrote the report.
The four key aims of the report were;
1. To come up with figures for the size of the workforce the industry will need up to 2017
2. To assess how ready the industry is to attract that many adequately skilled people
3. To identify the issues that will affect the industry’s ability to get the right people with the right skills in the right numbers, and
4. To suggest a range of possible initiatives to address the barriers in the way.
The SSFIC is facilitated on a part-time basis by Charlie Fulton, a forestry consultant and nurseryman based in Dalbeattie and is chaired by Scottish Woodlands' Colin Kennedy, Operations Director, South Scotland, both of whom work closely with Scottish Enterprise Dumfries & Galloway. The SSFIC Steering Group members are:
Colin Kennedy (Chair) Scottish Woodlands
John Dougan Forestry Commission Scotland
Robert Herbert UPM Tilhill
Gordon Hill Barony College
Richard Howard Scottish Enterprise
Comments and ideas are actively sought with regard to SSFIC's priorities. Charlie and Colin's contact details are shown below.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
For information about other forest industries-related events, see Forthcoming Events.
Previous events/activities:
|
