Idaho Forest Group

Marie Price

Marie Price is a workforce development leader with over 20 years of experience specializing in building talent ecosystems through registered apprenticeships, competency-based training and industry aligned career pathways. At Idaho Forest Group, she designs and oversees learning programs that enhance the performance and development of employees across the organization.

A Career Built Around Workforce Capability

For more than seven years at Idaho Forest Group, I have developed workforce career pathways across manufacturing and administrative functions. The goal is to give employees clear learning paths from entry-level positions to full proficiency and further advancement. A key priority has been developing skilled trades talent, where labor shortages, an aging workforce and intense competition for talent make workforce development essential to long-term operational success.

I have found that learning and development (L&D) becomes a strategic business function when it starts with the business problem rather than the training solution. The first question should not be, “What course should we offer?” but, “What capability does the organization need?"

Preparing Skilled Trades for Digital Manufacturing

As manufacturing becomes automated and data-driven, workforce development must evolve. Skilled trades employees are expected to work with computers, interpret operational data and manage technologies, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs), sensors and networked production systems.

Preparing employees for evolving roles requires ongoing collaboration with subject matter experts, IT, HR and L & D to identify changing skill needs, update job roles and build the right mix of on-the-job and external training. We are investing in building a dedicated lab to support this transition, where electricians can develop the knowledge needed to understand, troubleshoot and manage PLC systems.

Learning outcomes must be measured differently. Organizations should evaluate whether their talent development strategy is preparing employees for new roles, supporting career progression and improving outcomes like retention, productivity and readiness for change.

Strengthening the Talent Pipeline

Leadership, particularly frontline and middle managers, play a critical role in ensuring employees develop the skills needed to solve problems and meet operational goals.

Idaho Forest Group utilizes registered apprenticeships for skilled trades, which provide a clear pathway for advancement through progressive skill development. Partnerships with local high schools provide a pipeline to the skilled trades through School to Registered Apprenticeship, where students as young as 16 begin learning a skilled trade under the supervision of a journey-level mentor.

Identifying Future Capability Gaps

Identifying future capability gaps requires looking beyond traditional workforce planning data. Employee turnover, talent acquisition insights and industry trends all provide early signals about emerging skills and technologies. These insights reinforce why L&D must remain closely aligned with both information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT).

“ Skilled trades employees are increasingly expected to work with computers, interpret operational data and manage technologies, including programmable logic controller (plcs) skills. ”

Addressing skill gaps doesn’t require rebuilding the workforce from scratch. Employees may not need entirely new skill sets; they may need clear expectations, targeted learning and opportunities to apply existing knowledge in new ways.

Developing AI-Ready Workforce

As AI and automation reshape the workplace, every organization should establish acceptable use policies, data security standards and clear responsibilities. Employees need guidance about which tools they may use, what information may be entered into and human review requirements.

Employees should understand how data is collected, interpreted and used to improve decisions. Organizations must build baseline AI knowledge, reinforce cybersecurity awareness and ensure employees understand the risks associated with AI, IT and OT environments.

Advice for Future Workforce Leaders

My advice for future leaders is to be intentional in designing workforce systems that connect people, technology, operations and organizational culture. Executives, managers, technical and subject matter experts should work together to define capabilities, establish outcomes, assign accountability and track progress.

Workforce development should be treated as an integrated system for building organizational capability, preparing employees for advancement and helping the business succeed. In an automated manufacturing environment, technology alone does not create a competitive advantage. That advantage comes from employees who have the skills, confidence and support to use it effectively to achieve business outcomes.