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
SOURCE Weyerhaeuser Company
