STUDENTS from five Western Australian education establishments came away from last weekend’s National Merino Challenge (NMC) in Melbourne with new contacts and a greater understanding of the wool industry.
Teams from three WA College of Agriculture campuses, Cunderdin, Narrogin and Harvey, comprised almost half of this year’s NMC secondary school division, while teams from Murdoch University and Training Worx Australia, Kojonup, competed in the tertiary division.
In its fifth year, the two-day NMC run by Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) at the Melbourne Showgrounds, offered the students a mix of learning and competition as they demonstrated sheep and wool handling and appraisal skills.
They mixed with a network of wool industry professionals and career opportunities in all aspects of the industry were explained to them.
They were also introduced to and then assessed on their skills across a wide range of areas such as feed budgeting, condition scoring, breeding objectives, wool harvesting and the commercial assessment and classing of animals and fleeces.
The WA agriculture college teams were up against teams from three South Australian and one New South Wales secondary schools and the WA tertiary teams were competing against two teams each from Victoria, NSW and South Australia.
But the WA teams found the eastern States competitors hard to beat.
Students from Molong Central School, Molong, between Bathurst and Parkes in Central West NSW, and Cummins Area School on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, cleaned up most awards in the secondary school division.
The home State universities of Melbourne and La Trobe split all but one of the awards in the tertiary division between them.
NMC project manager Ben Watts said the NMC had grown rapidly since its inception because it met the demands of a new generation - about 500 students with an interest in wool have attended and competed since it began.
“Young people are keen and optimistic for the wool industry,” Mr Watts said.
“It is these young minds that will be taking the industry forward in years to come with fresh ideas for this industry in a digital age.
“It’s exciting to see and great to be involved and the engagement via twitter using #awinmc shows just how engaged they are.”
AWI manager of extension Emily King said the NMC fits well with the strong focus on education in the AWI strategic plan.
Under the plan AWI not only aims to train the next generation of woolgrowers and wool specialists, but the next generation of textile professionals who wish to work in the wool industry, Ms King said.
AWI thanked its NMC partners, Australian Wool Education Trust, Australian Wool Network, Landmark, Rodwells, Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders, Elders, Fox & Lillie Rural, Michell Direct Wool, Techwool Trading and the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria.
