Organised by the Southern Institute of Technology and held at its Telford campus near Balclutha, the plan is to buy a trailer to take equipment and samples to woolsheds to make it easier for people to access training.
The two-day block session for the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) approved course held earlier this month, attracted 14 wool handlers from throughout the South Island.
The course is completed through distance learning and filing assignments; one on shed inspection and a grading report on a clip they prepared.
Sponsored by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), it represents 10 NZQA credits, equivalent to 100 hours of learning.
“It has been three or four years since a NZQA wool harvesting course has been run,’’ tutor and course convener Bruce Abbott said.
The course was supported by MPI and covered the grading of crossbred and mid-micron hogget wool, shed management, pressing board and table preparation, documentation, health and safety, contamination and breed recognition.
Graduates can apply to the New Zealand Wool Classers Association for grading registration, meaning they are qualified to grade crossbred and mid-micron hoggets once they have submitted two clips of each type for approval.
“The qualification recognises the skill and experience senior wool handlers have,” Abbott said.
“To me the official recognition for the job they do has been a long time coming.
“Wool preparation can add value to the clip or take value off, depending on the workmanship, and that has needed to be recognised by the wool industry for a long time.’’
Representatives from PGG Wrightson, Tahi Ngatahi and New Zealand Merino contributed, and Abbott says a review was under way to tweak the course ahead of national rollout early next year.
“We run the programme in conjunction with shearing contractors and we will be going right through the country,” he said.
