Shearer and wool classer qualifications under review

Industry-led jobs and skills council Skills Insight has been working with the industry to review the training provided to shearers, wool handlers and classers.

Industry feedback raised the need for more life skills to be incorporated in qualifications and units, such as budgeting, self-management and communication to reflect skills needed for the shearing work environment.

The key changes proposed also include revisions to the Certificate III in Wool Clip Preparation and the Certificate IV in Wool Classing have been revised to align with AWEX wool classer registration standards and support quality standards in the wool sector.

Some units in wool clip preparation will most likely be removed or shortened, to make it more practical for producers to get their owner classer stencil.

Thirty units have been revised to remove duplication issues and more accurately reflect the skills and knowledge actually needed in the industry.

One new unit has also been developed for skills related to maintaining one's own health and wellbeing in the shearing and wool harvesting industry.

SCAA Shearer Woolhandler Training executive officer Glenn Haynes said it was great that industry had been so involved in shaping what changes would be made to training units.

"Anyone that's a wool classer that's out there is probably going to look at it and say 'thank god they're doing that as I had to do the same unit three times under different names'... things like that will streamline it a bit," he said.

"We've got e-specis now, traceability and sustainability that are all pretty big now and need to be included in the wool classing side of things."

Further industry consultation is happening at regional workshops and online throughout May.