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1 August 2000

Media Release
Canterbury Rural Media & Farm Editors Daily Media

Shearing contractors give apprenticeships the thumbs up

Modern apprenticeships could give the shearing industry just the boost it needs, said Canterbury shearing contractors on Friday.

The wool industry has been chosen for one of the 12 pilot modern apprenticeship schemes announced by Government in mid July. The pilot will be run by WoolPro, and will feature new style apprenticeships in shearing and wool handling.

The initiative was given the thumbs up by shearing contractors spoken to after the Woodend launch on 28 July.

“It’s definitely a positive step in the right direction,” said Barry Pullin, who runs a medium-sized shearing business based in Rolleston.

“We’re all very aware the average age of our workforce is getting older and older. We have to encourage people to come into shearing and wool handling.”

One of the best features of the scheme was the support that would be offered to apprentices by WoolPro, he said.

“It’s really important for the employer to know there’s someone else who is helping the apprentice along, acting as mentor to them.

“That takes the load off the contractor to a degree. We know we need to develop our workforce, but it’s hard to do on top of an 18 hour day.”

Apprentices in the new scheme will be recruited and placed with an employer by WoolPro. They have to be aged between 16 and 21, and sign up for three years of paid on-the-job training and some theoretical study.

Each will have a personalised training plan, which can include units in agriculture, first aid, communications, computers, leadership and running small businesses.

That outside study was a big plus, said Pullin.

If young people were to be attracted to the wool industry, they had to be able to see that it gave them good options: “This way they’ll know life does not begin and end in the woolshed”.

Cheviot based contractor Des Fitzgibbon said the apprenticeship scheme could only help the industry, at least by getting better information to young people.

“Lots of young people are misinformed about the work that’s out there.

“They don’t realise how much money you could make shearing for three years, and where these jobs can be stepping stones to better themselves, to buy farms, or buy small businesses.

A full-time shearer, who might also work for some of the off season in Australia, could earn between $40,000 and $50,000 a year, while their costs were lower as they often got food and accommodation on the job.

Wool handling work didn’t carry the same premium, but it did provide continuing prospects, Fitzgibbon said: “It’s a good option for women who’ve had kids and want to come back to work two or three days a week.”

The wool industry offered real employment opportunities in rural areas, he said.

“There’s a factory out there, that’s fully set up and raring to go, and it’s the shearing shed.”

Friday’s launch and briefing was attended by contractors from all over Canterbury, with the Economic Development Undersecretary John Wright (Alliance) as a special guest.

The organiser, WoolPro instructor Colin King, said the contractors’ response to the scheme was encouraging.

“It’s not easy for contractors, especially the smaller businesses, to take a learner on when their whole business depends on the speed and efficiency of their work.

“But they’ve seen that the modern apprenticeships offer them a good way of mixing training with getting the job done, and they’re definitely going to have a look.

“We will be keeping in close contact with them. These apprenticeships will work if they’re right for the employer and the young person involved, so we have to keep working on it together.”

[ends]

For more information, please contact:

Colin King, Tel 0800 496 657, or 025 322 027

 

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