Overseas staff to fill the gap in busy periods
In another initiative to increase the availability of wool harvesting staff in Australian sheds, AWI has launched a campaign to encourage shearers and wool handlers from overseas to work in Australia during times of peak demand.
While Australia has historically relied on shearers and wool handlers from New Zealand to supplement Australian wool harvesting staff, the COVID pandemic stopped Kiwis coming over to Australia. This caused labour shortages, made worse by there being more sheep to shear due to good seasonal conditions. The number of Kiwis working in Australia has still not fully recovered.
In a new initiative, AWI has launched a campaign to encourage experienced shearers and wool handlers from overseas to work in Australian sheds during peak demand periods of work in Australia.
In November, AWI filmed a short promotional video of four young shearers and wool handlers from Wales working in the shed of Jim and Abigail McLaughlin at ‘Merryanbone North’ near Warren in central NSW. The video is now being circulated by AWI on social media channels to encourage young overseas workers to contact AWI with a view to them helping fill the shortage of shed staff.
Footage from a promotional video of AWI trainers working with Welsh shearers and wool handlers at Warren in NSW.
Experienced young workers from any nation are welcome, although it is anticipated that they will be from a country that has an active wool-growing industry. For example, with 22 million sheep in the UK and a long history of sheep and wool farming, there are plenty of young people involved in the industry there. Furthermore, Australia’s peak wool harvesting season is the UK’s off season and it’s relatively easy for UK citizens to get a visa for Australia.
“In the past, young shearers from countries like the UK have tended to travel to New Zealand to work due to there being mainly crossbred sheep there. However, as an incentive to come to Australia, AWI is now offering to train them in shearing Merinos,” said AWI National Manager, Wool Harvesting Training & Careers Development, Craig French.
“The aim is for the overseas workers to then stay for the season and then come back again next year, ideally with a couple of mates.”
At Merryanbone North in November, AWI-contracted trainers Daniel McIntyre from Glen Innes and Oberon-based Josh Clayton provided guidance on shearing Merinos to the shearers from Wales. Josh says the young shearers adapted very quickly to the Australian conditions and shearing Merinos.
“I noticed that by being experienced in shearing strong wool sheep, they had really active footwork and that made it quite easy to train them with Merinos,” Josh said.
“They’re also good communicators, they like networking, they show up to work every day and they work hard.”
The young shearers were employed by Nyngan-based shearing contractor Michael Taylor, who often employs backpackers in his team.
“We had to take the fear factor out of shearing Merinos and I think we have done that. It’s a good life, they earn good money and it's a good opportunity for them, and to return again and again,” he said.
More information: The video is available to view below:
This article appeared in the March 2024 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.
