Securing future shearers

Well-known and respected indigenous shearing contractor and trainer Ian Bateman is helping address the country’s shearer shortage by encouraging young indigenous people to pursue a career in the shearing and wool industries.

With his last intake of trainees graduating from the program last month and now working in sheds across NSW and Queensland, he is gearing up for his next batch of interns to arrive at Merriman Station, near Brewarrina.

But one thing is made clear by Mr Bateman – his shearing school is no holiday.

It’s this tough love approach which he attributes to the school’s success and trainees leaving with a solid work ethic.

“I make it very hard for them, the simple fact is I want five of them to leave so I don’t have to cut them,” Mr Bateman said.

“I show them what it’s like out there in the real world.”

Mr Bateman said when the 20 new recruits first arrive at Merriman Station, most of them don’t know what it’s like to be out of bed before midday.

That soon changes, with Mr Bateman and his team enforcing a strict daily schedule for the “two-week boot camp”.

The students are up by 5.30am and into a weights session with Mr Bateman’s son Laurie, to build up their strength.

They also have to tend to their own washing before lining up to a hearty breakfast, all before 6.30am when they get stuck into work in the shearing shed.

The day finishes with a four kilometre walk or run to build their stamina.

They are also taken into Brewarrina during the week to train with the local rugby league or union team depending on their preference.

At the conclusion of the fortnight’s pre-vocational training, Mr Bateman looks for honesty and a willingness to “have a go” before investing in the trainees for the full 13-week training program.

“They don’t have to be a master of anything – they just have to be prepared to have a go, it doesn’t matter if they don’t become a shearer, wool handler or presser or even work in the rural industry, I am just happy if they go and get a job at Coles packing shelves – I have at the very least taught them to get out of bed and go to work,” he said.

This will be the sixth year the Merriman Station shearing school has been run, with two schools a year held last year and this year.

Trainees aged from 16 years to their early 30s have attended the school from as far afield as Tasmania and Western Australia, as well as Queensland, South Australia and NSW.

Mr Bateman said seasonal conditions prevailing, he expected to shear 7000 to 9000 sheep at every school.

The sheep are provided by Dubbo processor Roger Fletcher, Fletcher International Exports, however, due to the drought conditions on Merriman Station at present Mr Fletcher had the sheep trucked off the property at the conclusion of the last school to give the country a break.

In line with the tough season, the start date of the next school has been delayed until August 5.

Students will spend the two-week pre-vocational training school working in shearing sheds around the district and completing farm duties such as fencing on Merriman Station while they await a seasonal break and the sheep returning to the property.

Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) manager for the eastern division Craig North said they were pleased with the success of the Merriman Station shearing school for the 2012-13 financial year, with 23 of the 30 students completing the course, of which 21 have gone straight into work with shearing contractors.

Mr North said the students had also taken to shearing competitions, which gave them a major confidence boost.

“It’s one thing to shear in a shed in the back of western NSW, but it’s a different story to shear in front of 100 people you have never met.

“So following the school they not only leave being able to shear 80-plus sheep a day, but they can walk into a shed with the confidence to take on the job as they have already been exposed to other shearers and contractors at shows,” he said.

Mr North said the students transformed their outlook on life over over the three-month period.

“When the kids start they have their heads down and no confidence, but when they leave they have a trade and they stand up tall and are proud to show their families what they have learned at the graduation day,” he said.

MEGT Australian Indigenous Apprenticeship and Traineeship Network senior industry employment consultant John Whitty said they had received 40 applications from people wishing to attend the school next month, with the majority of interest from Queensland and NSW.

Mr Whitty said MEGT facilitated the program for the ILC and ensured the students genuinely wanted a career in the shearing and wool handling industry.

He said they also endeavoured to help the graduates obtain ongoing employment with contractors.

Mr Whitty said demand for the school had grown to a level where they now run two schools a year, however, the downside to this was it put more stress on the property in a dry year.

He said most of the students had a relative involved in the shearing industry, but the work was still a wake-up call.

“It’s a hard game and very physical, but it is financially viable if they can hack it,” Mr Whitty said.

At the end of the year MEGT and the ILC will select two successful graduates from the Merriman Station shearing school to spend a month in New Zealand, under a scholarship with Tectra, New Zealand, an industry leader in shearing and wool handling training.