Although summer seems very far away right now, it’s a great time to start looking into summer employment. A lot of employers already filled their summer positions back in the fall. But there are still some fantastic opportunities available. One of my personal favourites is the Junior Forest Rangers (JFR) summer job.
In order to get you the best information on this opportunity, I interviewed the person behind this awesome summer program, Brett Spady.
What is the Junior Forest Rangers program? And what is your role in it?
JFR is a high school work experience program. Our goal is to give participants a chance to develop careers skills in natural resource management. Our crews work across the province and we are associated with Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.
My role is to help coordinate 12 crews across Alberta. I have many great colleagues in Forestry who help to support our crews throughout the summer months.
This diagram shows the curriculum pillars that make up JFR. Imagine that JFR is in the centre of the diagram and each work project or educational opportunity strives to combine some or all of those characteristics.
What summer positions are available? Please describe the type of person who is qualified for each of these positions.
We have three summer positions available. All of the people we hire have to be ready for a challenge and willing to have fun while working hard. Once we screen for that, this is what we look for:
Crew Members (or Rangers) must be:
- 16 to 18 years of age of as July 1
- A full-time student enrolled in grade 10, 11 or 12 at time of application
- Interested in forestry, wildfire operations, wildlife biology, environmental science or stewardship
- Involved in community, school athletics, student council or volunteer services
- In good physical condition
- Available for a seven-day overnight training program, starting in the first weeks of July
- Prepared to live and work in the outdoors for seven weeks
Application Open: February 1 – April 1
Crew Leaders and Sub Leaders:
There is one Crew Leader and one Sub Leader in charge of each crew. They must have the following at the time of application:
- Post-secondary education or relevant career experience
- Full class 5 driver’s licence or Provincial equivalent. Please provide a copy upon application.
- Defensive driving certificate is a requirement. Please provide a copy with your application.
- Standard First Aid and Level C CPR. Please provide a copy upon application.
- Experience with leading and participating in outdoor education.
Application Deadline: January 30
What does a typical week look like for a JFR crew member? How about for a leader?
Crew members are busy learning all summer by spending time on work projects and educational opportunities. While each crew is a little different, crew members can expect challenging work including forest thinning, trail building, planting trees, and invasive species removal. They can also expect to meet professionals who can share their experiences about how they arrived where they are today.
Crew leaders work to make their crew the best it can be. Program planning, inventory, driving, coaching, and safety are all responsibilities of a successful crew leader. They work together with the crew sub leader to provide meaningful career and learning opportunities to the crew members.
In your experience, what aspects of a JFR summer are the most enjoyable and/or rewarding for crew members and leaders?
In many cases, JFR is a first job for many crew members. JFR has a healthy approach to safety and responsibility and it is really great to see how it pays off in many ways. We find that if we give people the opportunity to show what they can do, it is amazing to see how far they consistently exceed expectations. So I would say the most enjoyable experience is the satisfaction of a job well done. Crew members and crew leaders are so proud at the end of the season and it is always so well deserved.
What are some of the challenges JFRs face during the summer?
JFR requires people to take a leap between where they are and where they want to be. If a career in natural resource management sounds interesting, then JFR is a great opportunity to learn what options and career paths exist to help make that happen.
Any new experience has many challenges but I would say the most difficult part is for crew members to be away from home and the support which that brings. The good news is that everyone is in the same boat so making friends is not a hard thing to do. Our training program at the beginning of the summer recognizes this and gets people to work right away.
What new skills and/or knowledge will a JFR leave with at the end of summer?
In many ways a JFR gains a new sense of independence and responsibility because of the work they do all summer. The team environment created by being part of a JFR crew can be a very fulfilling experience for youth and we work to make it as positive as we can.
Specific skills like first aid, wildfire orientation, radio operators certificate, and occupational health and safety training are some of the hard skills that participants come out of JFR with.
A JFR summer is a great opportunity for people who enjoy the outdoors and have a good work ethic. Think about it; you’re getting paid to do something you love!
You are encouraged to contact the program staff in Edmonton if you have any questions:
Website: www.albertajfr.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlbertaJuniorForestRangers
Email: jfr.info@gov.ab.ca
Telephone: 780-422-9276