KUCHING: A group of Sarawak Timber Association (STA) employees received their Postgraduate Diplomas in Sustainable Tropical Forest Management from Lincoln University recently. Since 2004, employees of member companies of the STA are able to study about sustainable tropical forest management and forest certification through a Postgraduate Diploma from Lincoln University.
STA has taken on the role of developing and delivering training across all levels of the workforce in the industry in Sarawak and has been involved in skills training towards practicing sustainable forestry for many years. The Postgraduate Diploma is aimed at managers in the forestry industry.
The Postgraduate Diploma, jointly developed by Lincoln University and the Sarawak Timber Association, covers a wide range of topics that prepare graduates to deal with the environmental, social and economic requirements of sustainable forest management, as well as compliance with and implementation of procedures, auditing, and planning needed for certification of sustainable forestry.
The courses are delivered in modular format in Sarawak, allow students to study part time and continue to work, with a mixture of Lincoln University lecturers and local Sarawak forestry specialists. Joanes Unggang, an employee of GP Pusaka Sdn Bhd, who was attending the graduation, was jubilant over the occasion.
He said that having to attend the course while working over the last two years meant he had to sacrifice a lot of his free time at the expense of his family but the sacrifice is worth it.
He added that it is time for him to put the skills and knowledge acquired into action, especially when the Sarawak State Government is requiring all planted forests owners and natural forests concession holders to go for legality and sustainable forest management certification.
Joanes added, “The topics covered in the course have been systematically delivered, with a lot of hands-on field practical, leading to the topic of sustainable management of natural and planted forests”. The programme is an important contribution to the State Government’s drives towards a properly trained workforce at supervisory and management levels to ensure that forests are managed sustainably, efficiently and effectively.
