National partnership with Be Pro Be Proud will teach students
about career opportunities in the forest products industry
SEATTLE, Feb. 13,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Weyerhaeuser
Company today announced a national partnership with Be Pro Be
Proud, an initiative led by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce
and the Associated Industries of Arkansas (ASCC/AIA) to raise awareness among
middle- and high-school students for career paths in the skilled
workforce, including opportunities in forestry and the forest
products industry.
Through the partnership, Weyerhaeuser will support Be Pro Be
Proud's educational outreach and recruiting activities, which
include tours, mobile workshops and learning modules designed to
give students both virtual and hands-on experiences with careers in
skilled trades, as well as annual "Draft Days" that match
high-school seniors with prospective employers for job
interviews.
Weyerhaeuser will also work with Be Pro Be Proud to develop a
new learning module for careers in forestry and forest products to
be used this year. Be Pro Be Proud is licensed and operating in
Arkansas, Georgia, New
Mexico, North Carolina,
South Carolina and Tennessee. In 2024, Be Pro Be Proud expects to
engage nearly 140,000 students at 850 tour stops across those six
states. More states are expected to be added in the coming
years.
The new partnership expands Weyerhaeuser's commitment to rural
communities and workforce development, which are fundamental to the
company's 3 by 30 Sustainability Ambition focused on
supporting its operating communities. Last year, as part of that
effort, Weyerhaeuser announced its "Learn Local, Earn Local"
program designed to invest in grassroots education and training
efforts that create pathways for youth to enter good-paying,
skilled jobs in the forest products industry.
"Helping develop the next generation of skilled workers is one
of the most important ways we can support rural operating
communities," says Nancy Thompson,
senior director of advocacy and philanthropy for Weyerhaeuser.
"We're excited to be partnering with Be Pro Be Proud to raise
awareness for the range of careers available in the skilled
workforce, including the many interesting and rewarding
opportunities in the forest products industry."
Be Pro Be Proud's 2024 Draft Day Series will begin in
Arkansas in March, followed by the
National Conference, presented by Weyerhaeuser June 25 to 27, 2024, in Greenville, S.C.
"We are thrilled to partner with Weyerhaeuser as one of Be Pro
Be Proud's first national partners," says Randy Zook,
president of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Be Pro Be
Proud, Inc. "This effort has grown from one state in 2016 to six in
2023, spanning much of the country. The growing interest reflects
the acute need to attract young talent to America's skilled
professions across industry sectors that serve as the backbone of
this nation's strength and success. Our mission to change student,
parent and educator perceptions of technical careers is
strengthened by this partnership, and together we will continue to
build tomorrow's workforce."
For more information about career opportunities with
Weyerhaeuser, visit weyerhaeuser.com/careers.
ABOUT WEYERHAEUSER
Weyerhaeuser Company, one of
the world's largest private owners of timberlands, began operations
in 1900. We own or control approximately 10.5 million acres of
timberlands in the U.S. and manage additional timberlands under
long-term licenses in Canada. We
manage these timberlands on a sustainable basis in compliance with
internationally recognized forestry standards. We are also one of
the largest manufacturers of wood products in North America. Our company is a real estate
investment trust. In 2023, we generated $7.7
billion in net sales and employed approximately 9,300 people
who serve customers worldwide. Our common stock trades on the New
York Stock Exchange under the symbol WY. Learn more at
www.weyerhaeuser.com.
ABOUT BE PRO BE PROUD
Be Pro Be Proud, Inc. Is a 501c3
nonprofit organization headquartered in Arkansas. Its mission is to create and
generate student, parent, and educator interest in technical
professions within the construction, forestry, manufacturing,
transportation, and utility industries by presenting them as
high-tech, high-wage career paths of first choice. This effort was
launched by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce in 2016. Since
then, over 300,000 students have explored Be Pro Be Proud's Mobile
Workshops, which showcase hands-on simulator experiences, placing
them directly into real-world environments, and providing
opportunities for them to imagine themselves in these roles. Learn
more at beprobeproud.org.
For more information contact:
Analysts –
Andy Taylor, 206-539-3907
Media – Nancy Thompson,
919-861-0342
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SOURCE Weyerhaeuser Company