Shearers take the sheep from the pen and hold firmly
while removing the fleece all in one piece. They select combs that are
appropriate for the type of sheep and wool. If necessary they may treat skin
cuts on the sheep. They then return the sheep to the pens. They also
maintain their cutters and combs by cleaning and sharpening them. They may
also be required to shear stud animals with special combs or cutters.The person who removes the sheep's wool is
called a shearer.
Typically each adult sheep is shorn once each
year (a sheep may be said to have been "shorn" or "sheared", depending upon
dialect). The annual shearing most often occurs in a
shearing shed, a facility especially designed to process often hundreds and
sometimes more than 3,000 sheep per day.
ANZSCO
ID & Description:3612: Removes wool and hair from sheep, goats, alpacas and other animals. Shearers harvest wool from sheep using
power-driven handpieces that are fitted with combs and cutters.
Knowledge, skills and
attributes
A Shearer needs:
to be physically fit
to be able to work
quickly and consistently with their hands
take sheep from catching pens and hold
firmly while shearing fleece in one piece
select shearing combs to suit the type of
sheep and wool
ensure the wool is harvested with the
least possible stress on the sheep and in accordance with strict animal
welfare guidelines
return shorn sheep to let-out pens for
counting and checking
shear stud animals with hand shears or
special combs
clean and sharpen combs and cutters
- may service, maintain and repair shearing equipment
identify sheep with specific
characteristics, such as black spots, as requested by the wool classer.
catching and positioning animals for shearing
shearing and removing wool and hair from animals
identifying contaminated fibre and injured,
infected and diseased animals
treating skin cuts
returning shorn animals to let-out pens for
counting and checking
Working conditions
Expedition shearers work in a team and may be
responsible to an overseer or shearing contractor. These shearers travel
long distances from property to property to work. Others may work within
their own district and travel daily to the shearing shed, returning to their
own homes each day.
Accommodation is usually provided in shearers' quarters either on the
property or in a nearby town. Shearers supply their own work clothes, combs
and cutters.
The work is not as seasonal as it used to be, with
work most of the year. The peak seasons are Spring and Autumn. The working
day begins at 7:30am and consists of four two hour runs with two 30 minute
breaks and one hour for lunch. The shearing is usually done in a tin shed in
the country and conditions are usually hot, dirty and dusty.
Tools and technologies
Shearers need to be proficient with power-driven hand pieces that are fitted
with combs and cutters. They often own these hand pieces and so need to know
how to maintain them.
Education and training/entrance requirements
You can work as a shearer without any formal qualifications and get training
on the job. Some shearers begin by being a shed hand in a shearing team.
Entry into this occupation may be improved if you have a formal
qualification in shearing.The Certificate II and Certificate III in Shearing are offered at TAFE
Colleges and other registered training organisations throughout
Australia.
You can also complete a traineeship. The shearer and shearer (professional
level) traineeships usually take six to nine months to complete.
Year 9 student Jay Knight spent the week
at a shearing school in Crookwell NSW
(ABC Central West: Tim Fookes)
A new program has begun to teach high school students in New
South Wales about shearing and wool handling.
The Department of Education and TAFE NSW have launched the Shearing
Schools across the state in an attempt to encourage young people
into an industry always on the lookout for new workers.
The first of the week-long training courses involved 12 students and
was held on a property run by the Australian Agricultural Centre
near Crookwell on the NSW Southern Tablelands.
Students will be able to find work in a
shearing shed after attending the intensive week-long training.
(ABC Central West: Tim Fookes)
Year 9 student Jay Knight said he virtually grew up in the shearing
shed and was keen to improve his skills.
"My whole family are shearers and I want to be able to work with
them," he said. Jay said he had picked up some tips that would
help his endurance.
"I've been learning about how to take all the weight off your
body when you're shearing because it's physical." "It's a
great atmosphere in the shearing shed. You get to spend time with
your mates and you can make some good money."
The training is hands-on to give students
a taste of life in a shearing shed.
(ABC Central West: Tim Fookes)
Qualified to shear
After a week of training in the shearing sheds, students receive
qualifications in basic wool harvesting skills. TAFE NSW's Rob
Harris said the training would allow participants to find work in an
industry that was always in need of more workers.
"The worker shortage has been dire in recent years with the
industry losing a lot of shed staff," he said. "It's the
lack of consistent work that can be the problem, but also the
generic problem with people not wanting to work in particular jobs
that are physical."
Mr Harris said shearing was hard work but once someone had learnt
the skills it was something they could carry with them. "If you
have a fair crack at it, you do an honest day's work in a shearing
shed."
Year 12 student Emma McCormack is
interested in a career in wool handling.
(ABC Central West: Tim Fookes)
As well as learning to crutch and shear sheep, students who
undertook the training were also taught about wool classing. Emma
McCormack, 17, said the training gave students the chance to see
what life was like in the real world.
"We're seeing that it's hard working. You've really got to want
to do it," she said. "When you're young you mightn't know
what you want to do so spending a week in a shearing shed might show
you something you want to do and you stick with it."
Students at the shearing school learn
about basic shearing techniques, crutching, and wool handling. (ABC
Central West: Tim Fookes)
While the initial shearing school was in Crookwell, other training
schools will be held in southern and western NSW in the coming
months.
Free courses attract new workers
It is not only high school students being wooed into the industry.
Last year, the NSW government made TAFE Certificate IV in wool
classing fee-free.
Emily Morton saw it as an opportunity to expand her skills at Wagga
Wagga TAFE.
Already working as a roustabout, Ms Morton had studied shearing but
knew extra qualifications would help her job prospects.
Emily Morton says she saw learning wool
classing as a way to upskill in the wool shed.
(ABC Riverina: Lucas Forbes)
"We have massive demand for shearers, wool classers, and wool
handlers and you can get a job almost anywhere when you've got the
right attitude," she said.
TAFE Wagga Wagga primary industries centre head teacher Rob Harris
said demand for the course had soared since the fees were dropped. "Enrolments
have increased about 40 per cent on last year but more particularly
there's been a definite increase in the number of women doing our
course. More than 50 per cent of the course studying wool classing
are women," he said.
Money in shearing
Worker shortages have plagued the shearing industry for years.
During COVID, it was particularly challenging when New Zealand
shearers were either unable to, or chose not to, travel to Australia
due to border restrictions. It is not uncommon for experienced
shearers to make in excess of $1,000 a day in the shearing shed, and
it is hoped the lure of strong earnings will bring more younger
people into the industry.
Year 12 student Katelyn Woods says there
are a lot of opportunities for young people in agriculture.
(ABC Central West: Tim Fookes)
Year 12 student Katelyn Woods from Crookwell is enrolled in animal
studies at TAFE and completed the week-long training to improve her
skills as she looks for work. "There are so many opportunities
in agriculture for young people," she said. "I had no
experience in shearing before I came to the shearing school … now my
back hurts but it's a great experience."
Students get to grip with shears at
Crookwell woolshed through TAFE (Source: Goulburn Post)
Shearing shed hands assist wool classers and shearers
by performing routine duties in shearing sheds and handling the fleeces
after they have been shorn from the sheep.Wool Handlers regulate the flow of
sheep to be shorn, keep the shearing shed clean and tidy, and assist with
wool clip preparation.
ANZSCO ID: 841517
Alternative names:Wool Handler, Shearing
Shed Worker, Rouseabout, Rousie,
Specialisations:With experience and sometimes further training, it is possible to become a
shearer or a wool classer.
Shearing shed hands may perform the following tasks:
assist station hands to pen sheep for shearing
pick up the fleece after it is removed from the sheep and throw it onto a
large table for 'skirting' (process to remove stained or coloured pieces and
skin from the wool)
remove inferior and stained wool from fleeces as directed by a wool classer
grade wool that has been skirted off fleeces
roll the fleece into bundles and pass it to a wool classer for classing
sweep the shed floor around the shearing and wool handling areas
to help
keep the fleeces clean and to avoid contamination
identify and remove belly wool from the shearing area and place in relevant
packs.
Working conditions
Shearing shed hands may need to travel long distances from property to
property to work. Accommodation is usually provided in shearers' quarters
either on the property or in a nearby town. Some work within their own
district and travel daily to the shearing shed, returning to their own homes
each day.
Education and training/entrance requirements
You can work as a Wool Handler without formal
qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. A course in wool
handling might be helpful.
A wool presser transfers the fleeces and other wool types into wool presses
to form solid bales. They weigh the bales; brand the completed wool bale
with the farm brand, a description of the wool, the wool classer's stencil
and a bale number; and keep records of all bales completed.
ANZSCO ID: 842321
Knowledge, skills and attributes
able to work quickly for long periods
able to work as part of a team
knowledge of how to operate and maintain
wool-pressing equipment
knowledge of different wool types
knowledge of export packaging standards
excellent organisational skills
practical skills
animal-handling skills
basic maths skills
willing to travel and live in remote areas
able to undertake manual work
able to cope with the physical demands of the
job.