This autumn circa 430 students started their studies for becoming forest machine drivers. This is over 20 % more than in previous years. 
The campaigns to attract young people, the support of various operators in the forestry branch, as well as the improved networking of forestry educational institutes are now giving results. The new examination principles in this branch may also have played a role in attracting young people. Adult education in the forest machine branch has also been intensified. The number of new forest machine drivers will presumably rise to circa 550 a year.
Factors that increase the need for forest machine drivers are increased felling of Finnish forests and intensified harvesting of wood for energy purposes. Also forest management work is becoming more and more mechanized. The amount of mechanical planting is expected to increase from only a few percent today to more than 10 % by 2015. According to the Finnish National Forest Programme 2015 the number of forest machine drivers is expected to increase from 5,000 to 7,000 by 2015.