In the shed - Hands-on approach
Eileen Philipson’s father was determined to keep her out of shearing sheds and insisted she go to university. Luckily for woolgrowers, shearing contractors and wool handlers, he failed.
At 35, Eileen has spent 21 years working in the wool industry as a professional wool handler, representing Australia as a wool handler, travelling overseas for work and more recently sharing her skills with wool handlers across NSW as part of AWI’s national wool handling mentoring team.
Angela Wakely is another member of the mentoring team and, along with Eileen, has been working as a wool-handling coach with the Western Institute of TAFE, providing on-the-job skills training to 100 wool handlers taking part in a pilot program soon to be offered nationally.
“Wool handling is an area where you can make or break a wool clip, so it’s essential to have good skills in the shearing shed,” Angela says. “The role of wool handlers, along with the classer and other shed staff, is to get the best financial return possible for the grower.
“It’s important that wool handlers realise their role, understand why they do what they do, have a good temperament and work as part of a team.
“There’s never been much formal training for wool handlers, which is why the in-shed coaching offered through the pilot program has been so popular.”
The pilot, sponsored by the NSW Stud Merino Breeders’ Association and AWI, involved coaching 100 wool handlers as they worked in shearing sheds across NSW. The only eligibility requirement for the coaching was working as a wool handler: participants could have years of experience, or be on their first day in the shed.
“Once a coach arrives in the shed they talk to the wool handlers about their experience and watch the workflow before concentrating on specific skills, such as board work, picking up and throwing fleeces, skirting, workflow or shed set-up,” Eileen says. “The feedback from everyone has been overwhelmingly supportive. Farmers are impressed, contractors think it’s great and young people are amazed.
“In most cases, young wool handlers starting out in sheds get told 10 things they need to do, but not told why they need to be done. Once you explain the processes involved once wool leaves the shed, they have a greater understanding of their role.”
Image: Wool-handling trainer Eileen Philipson, of Yeoval, works in the shed on ‘Wattle Park’, the McLaren family’s Temora property.
Photos: Kellie Penfold
See also: Call for growers to help protect Australia's reputation and Wool handlers sharpen their skills.
Return to Beyond the Bale Issue 28 index page.