Educating wool’s next generation
AWI is involved in a range of initiatives to encourage the younger generation into the wool industry. Reported here is a snapshot of some of the AWI-supported initiatives undertaken in the past few months.
SA Sheep Expo, Adelaide SA
More than 120 students from across Australia attended the SA Sheep Expo in April at the Adelaide Showground, during which the students developed a better understanding of the sheep and wool industry and the opportunities it offers them.
Established in 2016, the three-day SA Sheep Expo is an educational initiative for young sheep enthusiasts aged 12 to 23 years. AWI is a Foundation Sponsor of the event and has supported it in each of the seven years it has been held.
The interactive program for students included hands-on sessions, demonstrations and presentations from leading industry experts. Each year a focus is given to a key topic of the industry; this year the focus was on ‘lambs and technology’, with sessions covering subjects including lamb production, biosecurity, markets, health and nutrition, genetic evaluation, and tips and tools to support and manage on-farm and off-farm decisions.
There were a range of other sessions, including a talk from the University of Adelaide’s Dr Sarah Weaver who is part of the team of researchers on AWI’s biological wool harvesting project.
All participants were allocated a stud sheep supplied by a breed society/association to be accountable for over the duration of the Expo. This included mucking out, feeding, and general care.
Participants were also able to compete in age groups in sheep handling and judging competitions, with a raft of prizes, and other awards and scholarships up for grabs.
“The Expo not only increased the students’ practical knowledge of how to run successful sheep enterprises, but also provided them with exposure to the wide range of career pathways within the sheep and wool industry,” said AWI National Extension Manager, Emily King.
“The event enabled students to engage at a grassroots level within the industry and provided them with the opportunity to build industry networks for their future in the industry.”
More information: www.sasheepexpo.com.au
Southern Tablelands Flock Ewe Championship, Crookwell NSW
To boost their knowledge about sheep selection, more than 60 school agricultural students and teachers attended the AWI-sponsored Southern Tablelands Flock Ewe Championship held in the Crookwell region of NSW in March. The students – from Boorowa Central School, Crookwell High School, Hennessy Catholic College (Young), and St Stanislaus' College (Bathurst) – undertook hands-on sessions to assess quality in Merino ewes based on a range of breeding characteristics.
The students also participated in a junior judging competition in which they were asked to judge the sheep and speak to the judging panel regarding the reasons for their selections. The students learnt a great deal from the industry representatives in attendance and enjoyed networking with local woolgrowers.
Peter Westblade Scholarship training weekend, Carrathool NSW
Now in its twelfth year, the Peter Westblade Scholarship delivers practical, hands-on training and mentoring to young people pursuing a career in the sheep and wool industry.
As one of the sponsors of the Peter Westblade Scholarship, AWI is supporting the next generation of leaders in the Australian sheep and wool industry. The Scholarship aims to identify, train and develop young people aged 18 to 30 who are enthusiastic about the industry and want to make a difference.
Established in 2010, the annual scholarship honours the late Peter Westblade, the Lockhart sheep producer who was passionate about breeding profitable sheep and was a strong supporter of young people interested in agriculture.
A key element of the Peter Westblade Scholarship program is the running of an annual training weekend, established to encourage, educate and mentor young enthusiasts with practical training for the sheep and wool industry.
The training is held at the state-of-the-art facilities of Wyvern Station, which is a 50,000-hectare property owned by T.A. Field Estates at Carrathool in the Riverina of NSW. T.A. Field Estates has been a long-term supporter of the Peter Westblade Scholarship and generously hosted the event again in 2024 which was attended by 30 keen youngsters aged 18 to 30.
The weekend in February consisted of hands-on workshops and mentoring sessions to improve the participants’ skill sets and build their industry networks. While the individual attendees gained a lot from the weekend, the benefits will also flow through to their employers and the wider industry.
There were 12 industry guest speakers, in addition to previous Peter Westblade Scholarship winners and committee members, in attendance to pass on their invaluable knowledge to the next generation. Topics covered included sheep selection, stockmanship, business skills, animal health and professional development.
More information: www.pwscholarship.com.au
Guide to careers in the wool industry
To encourage more youngsters to consider a career in the wool industry, AWI has produced a 98-page guide that showcases the diverse range of roles within the wool industry: from farmhand to wool classer, AI technician to veterinarian, extension officer to livestock agent.
The ‘Your future in wool’ guide also provides the pathways that students can follow to embark upon the particular career in wool that interests them. It also helps them investigate the skills, knowledge, attitude and experience they need to excel in the industry.
There are also lots of stories about real people working in the wool industry and they share some great tips about what it takes to be successful and make the most of the available opportunities.
The ‘Your future in wool’ guide is available for free to download from the AWI website.
The guide also includes a range of useful websites and handy decision-making tools to help students on their journey in the wool industry.
“We are absolutely loving the ‘Your future in wool’ guide’. We are utilising it across the 70 schools participating in the NSW School Merino Wether Challenge. The guide showcases a range of career options that meet students’ strengths and interests,” said Brooke Watts of Bralca who is helping organise the event.
The booklet is available at https://info.wool.com/careers-booklet
This article appeared in the June 2024 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.
