Shearing sheds searching for hands
Ashortage of staff is hitting Wimmera shearing sheds hard, despite many shearing contractors having caught up on time lost due to wet spring weather.
Lachie Campbell, of L. and A. Campbell Shearing Services, said there were shortages across the board in the shearing industry.
“There’s a big shortage of roustabouts and wool classers and everyone I speak to says they can’t get enough people to work in their shed,” he said.
“If the national flock is increasing, too, I can’t see a way they will all get shorn.”
Mr Campbell said he regularly heard from shearing contractors in Horsham and West Wimmera wanting available shearers, which he doesn’t have.
“I’m not sure why we don’t have enough people in sheds,” he said.
“I’m lucky to have enough shearers, but realistically I could add three or four more shearers on full-time.
“I do think we underestimated how many sheep New Zealanders shore for us. In the past few years many have gone home, where the industry has had a big price rise, and they won’t come back to Australia.
“It’s hard to get people into shearing, despite the fact it pays good money and contractors are happy to train people who don’t come with the skills for the job.
“It’s not easy work – we do big days and it is physically demanding – but there are heaps of government subsidies
to get people started and it’s not hard to get work when so many people need the job done.”
Mr Campbell said it was challenging for contractors to get wool classers and almost impossible for private runs to employ them.
“I don’t personally need to class, but I am getting my stencil so that if I ever do get stuck, I can do it,” he said.
“I think it would be interesting to know how many people have their stencil and don’t use it. I know a lot of farmers have their stencil so they can use it in their own shed.”
Shearing Contractors’ Association of Australia, SCAA, Shearer Woolhandler Training executive officer Glenn
Haynes said he could see a light at the end of the tunnel for farmers and contractors.
“I am seeing the most interest in 25 years from learners coming through the shearing schools we run,” he said.
“In 2019 we had about 27 students go into the industry full-time in Victoria and in 2022 that had jumped to 79 shearers.
“I think the interest also comes from word of mouth and learners telling others who are interested how easy it is to get a job, because farmers and contractors have no choice but to put learners on and support them.”
Mr Haynes said he was seeing more people come through from a trade
background into shearing, and more women go to shearing school.
“I think the Australian Wool Innovation is having a massive impact on retention of people in shearing,” he said.
“The first three weeks are the hardest and through Australian Wool Innovation we are able to send trainers out to sheds to spend a day per week with learners who have finished shearing school to keep their skills up and help them even more.”
South West TAFE is also aiming to attract more people to wool classing and help them gain a qualification.
South West TAFE wool classing teacher Stuart Macpherson said there was plenty of well-paid job opportunities for experienced people to work in the field.
“There is a lot of demand from contractors and farmers who are constantly looking for good wool classers,” he said.
“The demand is quite strong. It’s very hard to find wool classers, especially those of the right calibre who are performing at the required level.
“There are staff shortages across all facets of the industry, but it’s becoming more pronounced with handlers and classers.”
South West TAFE will deliver a wool classing course starting in early March at Maroona, near Ararat. The course will take between nine and 18 months. There are also plans for courses in Mortlake and Hamilton later this year.
Mr Macpherson said the course would provide practical skills as well as theory.
“Practical skills are important, but classers also need a good theory component as well,” he said.
“Wool classing is important because when the wool is sold as being classed by a registered wool classer, it gives the buyer an assurance of quality.”
More information about the South West TAFE wool classing course is available online via www.swtafe.edu. au
The timetable for Shearer and Woolhander courses by SCAA in Victoria is available via scaa.org.au/shearerwool-handler-2023-training-coursesfor-sa-vic