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
Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /home/workwil/public_html/wp/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4371
12:01 pm
Where will this be taking place? I need a rough idea, thanks.
2:39 pm
Justine,
JFR operates in six different camps and five or six different Aboriginal communities across Alberta each year. Camp-based crew members are placed on crews after the selection process and will find out by early June where they will be based.
2014 Camp-Based Crews:
Peace River
Grande Prairie
Fox Creek
Hinton
Rocky Mountain House
Athabasca
2014 Community-Based Crews:
Beaver First Nation
Tallcree Nation
Grande Cache (AWN)
Whitefish Nation
Treaty 7
I hope this helps!
10:11 am
How much money do the crew members make by the end of the summer?
9:43 am
First year crew members make $10/hour, which works out to about $2700 over the 7 weeks. Second year crew members make $11/hour, which ends up at about $2900 over the summer.
10:28 am
Anyone know when training for crew leaders start ?
8:40 am
Crew leaders start training at the end of May. Here are some more details on training: http://esrd.alberta.ca/about-esrd/esrd-careers-jobs/seasonal-employment/alberta-junior-forest-rangers/jfr-leaders-sub-leaders.aspx
12:34 pm
How do crew members arrive at Hinton? Do we have to use personal transportation or do we have bus/other services to use?
9:47 am
Kelly, Ideally, crew members are dropped off at the Hinton Training Centre. Hinton also has access to the Greyhound bus service or perhaps a car pool can be arranged. Please contact JFR program staff at 780-422-9276 or jfr.info@gov.ab.ca for more information.
1:12 pm
My daughter did this program in 2013 and again in 2014. I cannot give enough praise to this program!! She has made lifelong friends and is now persuing environmental sciences in university.
12:57 pm
Thank you for sharing your daughter’s experience, Cindy. We have heard nothing but great things from all the former JFRs we’ve spoken to!
4:04 pm
Does it end by the middle of August? I am going on vacation after that.
6:48 pm
The last day is August 19.
1:11 pm
Is the application process very competitive? I see they only accept 88 regular crew members throughout the Province. How many applications are received each year?
8:39 am
The number of applicants varies each year, and applicants compete for the positions through resumes and interviews. Work Wild doesn’t have access to application numbers. If you have specific questions, you can contact the Junior Forest Rangers office here:
Alberta Junior Forest Rangers
9th floor, 9920-108 St.
Edmonton, AB
T5K 2M4
Tel: 780-422-9276
Fax: 780-415-1509
Email: JFR.info@gov.ab.ca
9:30 am
So first years make 2700 does that include the 11.5% vacation pay?
9:20 am
Yes, JFRs can expect to make a total of about $2700. The 11.2% is included in that figure. Please feel free to contact program staff at 780-422-9276 if you have any questions. Thanks!
11:59 pm
Will we be able to spend the money we make during the duration of the job? And the camp in hinton is that one that you sleep in tents or barracks?
8:26 am
JFR is just like a regular job in that you will be paid regularly, and you can do what you want with your money in your free time. However, many of the camps are located remotely so there may not be many places to spend your money (which is great if you’re looking to save!). I don’t know about the sleeping situations, but if you’d like you can contact program staff at 780-422-9276 and they will answer all your questions about JFR.
8:20 am
how much money do you make per year
9:46 am
In 2016, first year crew members will make $11.50/hour and second year crew members make $12.50/hour. Crew members work full-time for 7-8 weeks.
10:58 am
How many crew members are their this year and what are the camp locations?
8:17 am
For more information on Alberta Junior Forest Rangers you can visit the program website or contact the program staff at JFR.info@gov.ab.ca or 780-422-9276.
2:17 am
How many hours do the members work?
9:56 am
Crew members typically work Monday through Friday from 8:00 – 4:30. Activities are also scheduled in mornings, evenings, and weekends.
12:45 pm
What is the current rate of pay for the 2017* season. *Previous email stated 2016.
1:31 pm
Hi Troy, the hourly rate of pay for JFR crew members this year will be $12.50 for fist years and $13.50 for second years.
6:11 pm
Hi There,
I was just looking into this program for my nephew and the info provided above is great however when I follow the link for the application: http://wildfire.alberta.ca/seasonal-employment/alberta-junior-forest-rangers/crew-member-application-information.aspx
The following message appears:
Server Error in ‘/’ Application.
The resource cannot be found.
Description: HTTP 404. The resource you are looking for (or one of its dependencies) could have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable. Please review the following URL and make sure that it is spelled correctly.
Can you please direct me to an updates link for further program info & applications.
Thank you kindly,
9:01 am
Hi Fiona, Thank you for letting us know! I tried the link and got the same error. I’ve notified the JFR program coordinator of the issue. I suggest trying the link again in the near future as I imagine it will be fixed fairly soon. –Ann
7:39 pm
My son (Brendan) was hesitant to join the program last year and be away from home. Once accepted to the program he embraced the opportunity and had the time of his life!! He gained a sense of independence and responsibility, he matured immensely. His crew leader Noelle was outstanding, his crew mates became great friends some of them he stays in contact with daily. The hiking, rafting, camping, helicopter ride into the beauty of our province filled his phone with amazing photographs. The challenging outdoor work ensured he stayed physical fit. Many of the skills he acquired over the summer will stay with him forever. We were very thankful to see the poster at his school advertising the program, we can not say enough about what an amazing experience JFR offers and I would encourage any young adult to apply. He will continue to apply for the crew leader position in yrs to come as he would like to share his experience, knowledge and skills with others. We promote the program &encourage our friends to have their kids apply for this unique summer experience. Regards Mary
10:39 am
Thanks for sharing your son’s experience, Mary!
2:19 pm
What’s the wage gonna be for 1st Years this year??
3:44 pm
At albertajfr.ca it’s saying $14.00/hour.