SCHOLARSHIPS 
AND AWARDS

There are many different scholarships and awards available for people planning to study forestry or related topics.

Some of these are very broad, while others relate only to certain courses, or to people from a particular region. 

Some awards are for academic study; others are to assist people doing practical training. 

WHERE TO FIND INFORMATION

• If you already know what course you plan to take, contact the course administrator and ask about what scholarships are available.
• Several websites are available to help you look for scholarships and awards. Examples are:

CareersNZ

Growing NZ

Studyspy

A quick search under 'Forestry' generates over thirty examples of scholarships for starters. 

Don't forget to look at sectors related to forestry such as science, environment, primary industries, engineering, transport, and health and safety. 

AWARDS FOR PRACTICAL TRAINING

If you are thinking about practical training, ask your local training provider whether any awards are available.

Many training courses are now 'fees free'; many also provide free or subsidised personal protection equipment (PPE) and other assistance such as free transport to training centres.

EXAMPLES OF FORESTRY SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

Three of the main forestry scholarship providers for degree/post-graduate study are MPI/Te Uru Rakau, the WIDE Trust, and the NZ Institute of Forestry Foundation. 

1. Ngā Karahipi Uru Rākau Scholarships

Applications for Ngā Karahipi Uru Rākau – (Forestry Scholarships) are now open for study beginning 2023.

This is an amazing opportunity for anyone considering studying forestry science, forest engineering or forest management next year.

We are particularly interested in encouraging all Māori and those who identify as female into higher-level forestry qualifications, to create greater diversity in the sector. 

Scholarships available

Nine forestry scholarships are offered for 2023:

• Bachelor of Forestry Science at University of Canterbury (open to those who are Māori or identify as female, or both)
• Diploma in Forest Management at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology (open to those who are Māori or identify as female, or both)
• Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Forest Engineering at University of Canterbury (open to ALL applicants entering their first year)

Successful recipients will receive:

• $8,000 a year for 4 years (the length of the degree) to help with tuition fees and living costs, or
• $7,000 a year for 2 years (the length of the diploma)
• Paid summer internship(s) with Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service or another forestry employer.

Applications

Applications open 1 June and close:

• 15 August for Degree Scholarships
• 16 December for Diploma Scholarship.

For more information about the scholarships, go to:

www.mpi.govt.nz/forestryscholarships

Or you can email MPIForestryScholarships@mpi.govt.nz or phone 0800 00 83 83

 Scholarships available

Nine forestry scholarships are offered for 2023:

• Bachelor of Forestry Science at University of Canterbury (open to those who are Māori or identify as female, or both)
• Diploma in Forest Management at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology (open to those who are Māori or identify as female, or both)
• Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Forest Engineering at University of Canterbury (open to ALL applicants entering their first year)

Successful recipients will receive:

• $8,000 a year for 4 years (the length of the degree) to help with tuition fees and living costs, or
• $7,000 a year for 2 years (the length of the diploma)
• Paid summer internship(s) with Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service or another forestry employer.

Applications

Applications open 1 June and close:

• 15 August for Degree Scholarships
• 16 December for Diploma Scholarship.

For more information about the scholarships, go to:

www.mpi.govt.nz/forestryscholarships

Or you can email MPIForestryScholarships@mpi.govt.nz or phone 0800 00 83 83

Videos about the scholarships and forestry careers – He ataata o ngā karahipi me ngā mahi ngahere

See what other students have to say about the scholarships – YouTube (2:14)

Learn about the benefits of higher-level forestry study and career opportunities – YouTube (2:09)

2. The WIDE Trust Scholarships

The WIDE Trust was set up in 2018, and has a range of awards and scholarships on offer, including for tertiary, post-graduate and vocational studies.

Full details and application procedure

3. NZ Institute of Forestry Foundation Scholarships

These are offered yearly. See below for details.

AWARDS FROM FORESTRY COMPANIES

Some  forestry companies liaise directly with tertiary education and training providers to offer financial assistance to students; also a number of forestry companies collaborate with their contractors to encourage and fund training for forestry crew members.

The best advice we can give is to never be afraid to ask your employer or training provider if any awards are available. 

MPI POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS

MPI also offers postgraduate science scholarships every 2 years for Masters and PhD students – post-grads working in forestry-related fields have been among those awarded these scholarships in the past. For the year beginning 2020 there were six scholarships on offer. 

Applications generally open mid-year for the following year.

The scholarship aims to build capability in the primary industries, particularly where there are current skills and science gaps. Proposed research must be relevant and meet a need for the primary industries.

Full details and application procedure 

WOOD COUNCIL SCHOLARSHIPS

Eastland Wood Council

The Eastland Wood Council has two scholarships of $1500 each year for:

• A student enrolled in full time relevant industry tertiary study, or
• An employee within the industry who aspires to further training to improve their skills, knowledge and value to their employer.

Find out more and download an application form.

Southern Wood Council

The Southern Wood Council Forest Products Scholarship is for a student from the Otago/Southland region who is enrolled in the Bachelor of Forestry Science or Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) (Forestry) degrees at the University of Canterbury or a Wood Processing related degree.

The scholarship has been set up by the forest products industry in the lower South Island to encourage and support an outstanding student each year for their final three professional years of study (Years 2 – 4).

The Scholarship is worth $1500 including GST per annum for the three final years of professional study (total scholarship value of $4,500 including GST). In addition, if a Bachelor of Forestry Science or Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) student is required to complete a thesis or research project as part of their study, the Council will work with the student to try and find a suitable project from within the region. There may also be opportunities for summer vacation work with one of the Southern Wood Council member companies.

For more information on the SWC Scholarships visit the Southern Wood Council website or email Brent Apthorp.

Northland Wood Council – Northpine Scholarship

Northland Wood Council has announced a new forestry scholarship in the form of a $2,000 cash grant sponsored by Northpine Ltd. It will be awarded each calendar year, starting in 2020.

The scholarship is either for:

• A student enrolled in full time study relevent to the forestry sector, or

• An employee within the industry who aspires to improve their skills, knowledge and value to their employer with extra study.

Click here to download the application form, which includes more information on the scholarship and the application criteria. 

LOG TRANSPORT SAFETY COUNCIL TRAINING PATHWAY SCHOLARSHIPS

The Log Transport Safety Council (LTSC) Executive has announced that the LTSC will sponsor 10 Training scholarships for current financial members or their employees.

Download the information sheet about the scholarships here.

Email applications to:

Bruce Nairn
Secretary
Log Transport Safety Council
0274 943695

NZIF FOUNDATION AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Applications are invited for the awards and scholarships offered by the NZIF Foundation. The total value of awards offered is $39,500.

The awards open for application are:

• Two Future Forest Scholarships for post graduate research of up to $10,000 each
• The New Zealand Redwood Company Scholarship of $5,000 for an undergraduate scholarship at the University of Canterbury School Forestry
• Chavasse Travel Award of up to $3,500 to assist a mid-career person to travel overseas or to bring an overseas person to NZ
• Jon Dey memorial award of up to $3,500 to assist research projects in the areas of work study or new technology aimed at improving forest engineering and harvest productivity
• Otago Southland Award of up to $3,000 to assist a project of relevance to forestry in the Otago/Southland region
• Mary Sutherland Scholarship of $1,000 for a polytechnic student
• University Undergraduate Scholarship of $1,000
• Frank Hutchinson Postgraduate scholarship of $1,000
• Student poster prizes at NZIF Conference (1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd prizes of $800, $500 and $200)

Further details on the Foundation web page available through www.nzif.org.nz, (link on lower right hand side of page).

Membership of NZIF is not a requirement for application.

RAYONIER STUDENT PROGRAMME

Each year Rayonier offers scholarships for students enrolled in either a Bachelor of Forestry Science, or Forest Engineering degree.

Our scholarship provides financial support of up to $5,000 as well as student vacation work over the summer vacation period.

Scholarship eligibility

All second and third year students enrolled in either a Bachelor of Forestry Science or Bachelor of Forest Engineering.

Scholarship value

Each scholarship recipient gets:

• Up to $5,000 to help with tuition fees and living costs
• Summer vacation work (of between 10-14 weeks) at one of our 6 locations.
• Assistance with accommodation and travel costs, dependent on location

For full details of the application process, please contact: nzrecruitment@rayonier.com or check out the Rayonier website.

2020 MITO SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS

The 2020 programme will provide up to 60 scholarships with a total value of up to $68,000. There are eight scholarship categories:

• The Kick Start scholarship is awarded to individuals who have full-time employment or an offer of full-time employment in one of MITO’s industries in 2020 and have not previously been enrolled in a MITO training programme at Level 3 or above. This scholarship pays the first year programme fee for any MITO apprenticeship or traineeship programme at Level 4 or above. Up to 25 scholarships are available.
• The Kick Start Māori and Pacific Peoples scholarship is awarded to individuals who have full-time employment or an offer of full-time employment in one of MITO’s industries in 2020 and have not previously been enrolled in a MITO training programme at Level 3 or above. This scholarship pays the first year programme fee for any MITO apprenticeship or traineeship programme at Level 4 or above. Applicants must be of Māori or a Pacific Peoples ethnicity. Up to seven scholarships are available.
• The Business Skills scholarship is awarded to current or aspiring managers or supervisors employed full-time in any of MITO’s industries. This scholarship pays the programme fee for MITO’s First Line Management programme. Up to 15 scholarships are available.
• The Business Skills Māori and Pacific Peoples scholarship is awarded to current or aspiring managers or supervisors employed full-time in any of MITO’s industries. This scholarship pays the programme fee for MITO’s First Line Management programme. Applicants must be of Māori or a Pacific Peoples ethnicity. Up to seven scholarships are available. 
• The MITO Alumni – Diploma in Business scholarship pays the programme fee for MITO’s Diploma in Business (Level 5). Applicants must have completed MITO’s Business Skills (First Line Management) programme and be employed full-time in the automotive industry. Two scholarships are available.
• The MITO Alumni – Electric Vehicle scholarship pays the programme fee for MITO’s New Zealand Certificate in Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering (Level 5). Applicants must have completed an automotive apprenticeship through MITO and be employed full-time in the automotive industry. Two scholarships are available.
• The MITO Alumni scholarship pays the first year programme fee for any MITO apprenticeship or traineeship programme at Level 4 or above. Applicants must have already completed a training programme through MITO at Level 4 or above. 
• The Clyde Cunningham QSM Memorial scholarship pays the programme fee for MITO’s First Line Management programme. Applicants must have completed a MITO automotive apprenticeship and be based in the Hawke’s Bay region.

 To find out more, visit the MITO website.

THE GOVERNMENT'S APPRENTICESHIP SUPPORT PROGRAMME

The Government’s Apprenticeship Support Programme was announced 18^th June. This programme will fund four initiatives to help employers to retain and bring on new apprentices.  

1. The Apprentice Boost Initiative is a $380.6 million broad-based wage subsidy to for employers to help you keep existing apprentices and employ new ones. It will be available to employers in all industries who have formal apprenticeship schemes for at least 20 months. Amounts will vary depending how far through an apprentice is in their training but if you have apprentices in a recognised New Zealand scheme you will get up to $12,000 per first year apprentice and $6,000 per second year apprentice. This initiative will be delivered by the Ministry for Social Development and will be available from August 2020. Further details will be available soon on how to apply for the subsidy.
2. Funding for the existing Manu in Mahi programme, which helps employers provide on-the-job support for employees, is being expanded by $30.3 million in new funding. This will enable the programme to provide 24 months of support per participant (up from the current 12 months), and to provide an increased wage subsidy amount of up to $16,000 per first year participant, and up to $8,000 per second year participant. Additional pastoral care and other support will also be provided on top of this wage subsidy amount. The programme is delivered by Work and Income and if you think you have an opportunity to support someone, visit Manu in Mahi.
3. The seven existing Group Training Schemes will be supported by a $19 million fund to ensure they remain viable following the Covid-19 lockdown. This will enable the schemes to continue to employ apprentices and trainees and provide related services to host businesses, where those businesses (mainly construction-related) are unable to support their apprentices. This scheme is delivered by the Tertiary Education Commission.
4. The Regional Apprenticeships Initiative is a new regional apprenticeship scheme which will invest in new apprenticeships in regional New Zealand and particularly support displaced workers and Maori and Pacific peoples into jobs. More details on this will be released shortly.

As an employer you will be able to access support from one of the above support programmes (except the Group Training Schemes fund which is not available for individual employers) and this will depend on the type of apprentice or pre-apprentice trainee you employ. If you have laid off an apprentice, you can rehire that apprentice and then receive support from Apprentice Boost.

All employers who have an apprentice will be able to receive a base subsidy rate up to $12,000 per annum for first year apprentices and $6,000 per annum for second year apprentices through the Apprentice Boost Initiative. Mana in Mahi and some Regional Apprenticeships participants will get a higher subsidy to reflect the different level of need of individual apprentices (or pre-apprentice trainees) involved.

 For more information you can visit Work and Income.

NEW FORESTRY SCHOLARSHIPS – TE URU RAKAU

Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service has announced three new Ngā Karahipi Uru Rākau – Forestry Scholarships being offered through Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in the Bay of Plenty starting 2022.  

 The scholarships will encourage more women and Māori into a career in forestry and wood processing. 

 “Forestry and wood processing plays a key role in supporting New Zealand’s economic future and response to climate change,” says Debbie Ward, Director, Business and Spatial Intelligence, Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service. 

 “Our scholarship programme provides a pathway to ensure more qualified and skilled people join our workforce as it undergoes transformation.  

 “We are proud to partner with Toi Ohomai to offer the new scholarships for those enrolling in a Diploma in Forest Management. This is a way of opening the door to a career in forestry, and also create more opportunities for women and Māori. 

 “By increasing diversity in higher-level study through the new Toi Ohomai scholarships, we help ensure the forestry and wood processing sector better reflect the diversity in our local communities.” 

 The diploma course covers a range of topics to prepare students for management roles, including business planning, forest health and management, supply chain and harvesting, and operations management.  

 Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology Faculty Dean of Primary Industries, Trades and Infrastructure, Brian Dillon, says the Institute is excited to partner with Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service to offer these scholarships to students.   

“We know the forestry workforce is an ageing one and there is a focus to attract the next generation,” says Mr Dillon.  

 “We are seeing more interest from local Māori who, once qualified, can go on to manage their iwi land. This scholarship will benefit not only the recipients, but their iwi and wider communities. 

 “There are clear pathways from entry level forestry study through to New Zealand Certificates in Forest Harvesting operations. Several of these graduates continue on to study the Diploma.   

 “We are the only provider in New Zealand to offer the Diploma in Forest Management. We are excited to see the prospective scholarship students and look forward to their journey with us and Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service.” 

 The new Diploma scholarships complement the existing Bachelor of Forestry Science and Bachelor of Forest Engineering degrees offered through the University of Canterbury since the establishment of the scholarship programme in 2018.  

To date, 22 recipients have been awarded scholarships, and the first students are expected to complete their qualifications at the end of 2022. 

 Applications for all scholarships are open 1 June 2021 to 15 August 2021. Those with a strong interest in forestry, strong community involvement, and who are committed to a career in the sector are invited to apply. 

 For more information about Ngā Karahipi Uru Rākau Scholarships, please visit our website, email us or phone 0800 00 83 33. 

NEW HORIZONS FOR WOMEN: HINE KAHUKURA

New Horizons for Women: Hine Kahukura is a national charitable trust. Our purpose is supporting education, innovation and research that benefits women – by providing a nation-wide Awards Programme.  To find out more visit: https://www.newhorizonsforwomen.org.nz/

HAWKES BAY FORESTRY GROUP SCHOLARSHIP

This scholarship has an annual value of $5,000 and is available to Hawkes Bay residents of any gender or ethnicity enrolled or intending to enrol in tertiary studies in forestry.