St Arnaud Wool Handler Workshop

PSV’s 3-day St Arnaud Wool Handler Workshop provided Year 10 students from the St Arnaud Secondary College with a chance to learn hands-on woolhandling and shed skills.

Thanks to funding from Australian Wool Innovation Ltd (AWI) with training expertise provided locally by Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE (BRIT), students were transported directly from the school each day to Barry Batters’ mixed farming property to get a taste of working in a real shearing shed.

Under careful supervision the students have a chance to try their hand at a bit of shearing.

Woolpress operation and all important OH&S requirements are included as essential to the program.

Naming the different parts of the fleece and learning other wool industry terminology.

Students were awarded a Certificate of Participation at the end of the program and a Statement of Attainment will also be issued by BRIT which gives the students a real start towards completing a nationally recognised wool industry qualification.

On behalf of the Victorian wool industry, Primary Skills Victoria would like to acknowledge the support of Australian Wool Innovation Ltd who provides seed funding to encourage rural young people to seek career opportunities in their local industry.

Primary Skills Victoria would also like to thank Barry Batters who provided access to the real world facilities on his farming property and Don Bennet from BRIT who assisted with the program delivery.