Agriculture
24 September, 2024
Training schools filling the shed gap
DOZENS of shearers and wool handlers trained in the last four years at week-long schools in Victoria had helped build a stronger industry workforce. Trainer Stuart Neal, who was back in Wedderburn last week for the annual school now into its third...
DOZENS of shearers and wool handlers trained in the last four years at week-long schools in Victoria had helped build a stronger industry workforce.
Trainer Stuart Neal, who was back in Wedderburn last week for the annual school now into its third decade, said: “Three or four years ago, farmers were screaming for shearers.
“We have since trained up a group of locals around the region and now the aim is to keep them in work in the industry,” he said.
Mr Neal said the growth in shearer numbers across country Victoria had been matched by a drop in school enrolments this year. “There’s certainly been a drop off. A few years ago we were putting 30 people through the schools at Wedderburn and Wycheproof.
“This year we had to cancel Wycheproof and numbers have been back a bit at Wedderburn.
“We have numbers (of shearers) again and not relying on overseas labour.”
Australian Wool Innovation’s industry relations officer Holly Byrne visited the Wedderburn shearing school last Thursday. She said school numbers were generally good.
Ms Byrne said that more than 450 people had enrolled at schools in the last four years and had stayed in the industry.
Mr Neal said most students were aged 21 or older “with a mature body that can handle the work”. “We have people come straight from high school and then mature age people learning a new trade,” he said.
“Some are off farms, some have never seen a sheep before.”
Wedderburn farmer Chris Hargreaves among school participants last week, honing his shearing and woolclassing skills.
The class spent five days, shearing 200 Merino ewe weaners. “Gavan Holt has made 300 sheep available for use by the class, a few spare, as to get through 200 in a week is good going,” said Mr Neal.
AWI CEO John Roberts says: “While shearer and wool handler training is a priority for AWI, we are also working to attract new workers into the broader wool industry through a range of education initiatives held across the country.
“Our industry’s potential workforce often have many other alternative career options open to them so we must make learning opportunities as available as possible.”