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Shearer Training has been conducted in Australia and New Zealand in a co-ordinated manner for over 30 years
	Australia:
The Australian Wool Corporation has been the major contributor until 1995 with the Department of Agriculture, some TAFE Colleges and other Training providers across all states bringing new people into the industry and improved existing workers. The Tally Hi Shearing pattern which was a base shearing pattern for the narrow gear, was of great benefit to the shearing industry, but is now out of date. Wide gear was allowed to be used legally in Australia from 1984 The latest shearing pattern takes advantage of improved and refined positions and blow placement for the wide gear. To ensure workplace strain injuries are avoided and working life is extended follow the recommended Pattern
By following the pattern, the sheep will be shorn with less effort, stress, movement, and stretching, and more wool is removed with less blows. The effort needed to shear the sheep is much less In particular, the belly position is now easier on the shearer and the sheep. The first back leg blow angle has changed to follow the leg line, and the undermine is bigger, which improves efficiency on the long blow and last side.
	The Top Side of the wrinkle is now shorn first more than ever, which has benefits on the last side. Second cuts are less and the wool is handled better The 1st front leg is not lifted now, but left down due to more rolling of the sheep onto it's backbone. This places less strain on the shearers back. The Last Front Leg is not picked up as it puts much strain on the back. It is left down which means less blows and easy on the back Some shed conditions are the same as 200 years ago, but many new sheds have improved designs, easier drag and more efficient wool working areas.

The majority of Shearer and Woolhandler Training funds are now administered by State Governments
Government Funded Training Organisations must train to Competency based Training Packages	The training is no different, that is, sheep are still shorn and wool handled similar, but paperwork for the training providers and trainees has increased, as has assessment criteria.	Industry staff can improve their skills through training and want and need the training, but not the paperwork.
Learning Shearing and woolhandling was once 95% practical and 5% theory. No academic or gender requirements were needed, just a good work ethic and some common sense. In the past 10 years academics have made the shearing courses like most other things they do, a paperwork nightmare, and over 70% theory and much less practical. This discourages many people from applying and puts it out of reach for many who left school early as academia didn't interest them Paperwork is seen by the industry, as academics with very little knowledge of the industry at grass roots, trying to bring their ideas to an Industry where practical and performance based work is the only requirement. Training can be conducted without an understanding of language between the trainer and the trainee, this happens around the World in many countries. This proves that resources should be simple and pictorial based not academic with pages of words that are really irrelevant in the scheme of things. Shearing is a basic, easy job to learn for anyone with some hand eye co-ordination and physical attributes, and hasn't changed much from 100 years ago except due to advanced gear design. The employers give anyone a chance on their work skills, not a piece of paper. Therefore we should ensure that as coaches/instructors/trainers, our real focus is giving someone enough skills to obtain employment, and give continued training to improve, so they can provide a living for them and their families. We should not shower them, their employers and trainers with a paperwork and certification nightmare that the industry does not want or need. Opinion

Organisations with no previous shearing or woolhandler skills, no experienced representatives, should not have more say than the industry players and staff, or it is detriment to the industry.
Most advisors and administrators of training funds are not fully conversant with shearing industry practices, or up to date with changes that have, or are occurring in shearing or woolhandling at grass roots.
The result if this continues could be disastrous for the shearing industry, with less shearers and woolhandlers in the future
To be successful, shearing industry training should be in the hands of people and organisations with experience in shearing industry training, who have coaches with credibility, and are in touch with the industry at grass roots level, have a knowledge of past systems, runs on the board and a long term plan.
If Providers do not have these necessary qualifications, they are doing the industry a disservice, and starting trainees on out dated methods.
All training organisations have a responsibility to the trainees, should use the latest techniques and equipment as well as experienced industry coaches with credibility

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South Africa:
The National Woolgrowers Association (NWGA of South Africa started shearer training in 1980
The training programs developed and co-ordinated by Ian Rutherford for many years) and now Izak Klopper (co-ordinator) has taken on the role. The NWGA have blade and machine Instructors who travel Nationally to train new people and improve existing shearers.

As a result of the NWGA training service the standard of shearing within South Africa and Lesotho has been recognised World wide. For the first time in history, South Africa and Lesotho each had representatives in the recent 2000 World Shearing Championships machine final. Charles August (Lesotho) 3rd and Kenneth Norman (South Africa) 6th - In 2003 Kenneth Norman made the World semi final in Scotland and 2005 in Toowoomba, Australia Kenneth was 3rd in the World
The South African Woolhandling Team (Richard Khontsiwe & Abram Fada) were placed 3rd in the World Woolhandling Teams event behind Australia and New Zealand

South African blade shearers have also dominated World Championships with Zingesele Elliot Ntsombo (Lesotho) World Champion in 1996, 2003, and 2005 and Ziewilelle Hans (South Africa) World Champion in 1998 & 2000 & 2008.
NWGA conduct courses throughout the country all year
Izak Klopper, (Co-ordinator) and his team of coaches use the latest techniques in their coaching, which have helped the champions succeed at World Championships level

Training Providers in South Africa- Country Phone code - +27

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Training Providers in Australia - Country Phone code - +61
State	Provider	Contact	Email	Phone
West Australia	CY O'Connor Tafe, Narrogin Campus	Stephen Madson	Stephen.Madson@cyoctafe.wa.edu.au	(+61) 08 9881 9000 (+61) 0409 080 243
New South Wales	Rural Skills Centre, Tafe NSW PO Box 787, Dubbo, NSW 2830	Jim Murray	jm@shearingworld.com	(+61) 02 6846 7585

Province	Provider	Contact	Email	Phone
National	NWGA	Izak Klopper	nwgabloem@intekom.co.za	(+27) 051 447 3023 (+27) 082 446 2162