Launceston's Myles Stacey shears a sheep under the watchful eye of trainer Jack Monks and fellow Primary Employers Tasmania course participants including Jake Noble and Ricky Potter.
THE future of shearing in Tasmania is looking brighter, thanks to the efforts of first-year trainer Jack Monks and courses offered by Primary Employers Tasmania.
Quite a high percentage of the state's 140 shearers are over 50 and Mr Monks said about 15 per cent of those needed to be replaced in the next few years.
``The courses offered through Primary Employers Tasmania are giving potential shearers a chance to learn the trade,'' he said.
Mr Monks last month completed the second of two shearing and wool-handling courses in Northern Tasmania.
``There was a 10-day course at Beaufront, Ross, which followed a five-day course at Connorville, near Cressy, and nearly 25 would-be shearers went through the two courses,'' he said.
``Once they learn the trade, shearers can travel all over Australia and the world and quite a few of this latest course showed real promise, but there's a pretty high drop-out rate and probably five out of 20 would continue.
``A shearer only has to shear 74 sheep a day to earn the same money as a shed hand and most of them vp+1would reach that level after three or four months of vp+2consistent work.''
Mr Monks said he had seen a fair number of half-shorn sheep running up the boards in his time as a trainer.
``They can get away from vp+1you if you're not careful,'' he said.
Rick Horne, of Ouse, said that his mother was a wool classer and he used to work in the shed with her.
``I thought I'd give the shearing a go to see what it was like and I'm enjoying it,'' he said.
Myles Stacey, of Launceston, has been shearing for six months, manages between 70 and 80 a day and participated in the Ross course to improve his technique.
``I hope to be doing my 100 [sheep a day] soon,'' he said.