Shearer

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Shearing Shed Hand
Wool Presser


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Practical or MechanicalNature or RecreationSkill Level 1Skill Level 2

 

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 Future Growth Strong 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
  • to be able to work confidently with sheep
  • good hand-eye coordination
  • to be willing to work and live in the country
  • to be able to work as part of a team.

Shearers working
(Source: ABC News)

Duties and Tasks

Shearers may perform the following tasks:

  • 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.

Shearing Shed near Crookwell NSW
Old Shearing Shed near Crookwell, NSW


Did You Know?


Taken directly from ABC News 11 July 2023

Crookwell High School
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.

ABC News

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."

ABC News
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."

ABC News
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."

ABC News
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.

ABC News
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.

ABC News
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."

Goulburn Post
Students get to grip with shears at Crookwell woolshed through TAFE
(Source: Goulburn Post)

Shearing Shed Hand
Environments

Practical or MechanicalNature or RecreationSkill Level 1

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. Future Growth DeclineWool 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.

Knowledge, skills and attributes  

To become a shearing shed hand, you would need:

  • to able to work quickly for long periods

  • good physical stamina

  • teamwork skills

  • to enjoy manual tasks

  • to be willing to travel and live in remote areas

Shearpower Shearing
https://youtu.be/LLLKaHBtlFM

 

 

Duties and Tasks

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.

 

Shorn sheep

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.

 

ProWay - 6 Stand Shearing Shed
https://youtu.be/KzLa7gGTO0E

 

Wool Presser
Environments

Practical or MechanicalNature or RecreationSkill Level 1

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.

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Livestock Farmer

Aquaculture Farmer

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Mining Engineer

Petroleum Engineer

Jillaroo Jackeroo

Arborist

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Waste Water Operator

Horse Groomer

Grain Oilseed Pasture Grower

Animal Attendant and Trainer

Coastal Engineer

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Geographer

Olericulturist

Environmental Consultant

Floriculturist

Agricultural Consultant

Sustainability Consultant

Wind Turbine Technician

Zoo Education Manager

Hazardous Materials Labourer

Feedlot Manager

 

Farmer

Horticultural Assistant

Zookeeper

Civil Engineer

Viticulturalist

Horticulturalist

Surveyor

Beekeeper

Landscape Architect

Lifeguard

Horse Trainer

Forester

Electrical Linesperson

Shearer

Greenkeeper

Stonemason

Crop Farmer

Livestock Farmer