Indigenous Land Corporation gpo box 652 Adelaide sa 5001

Programme Highlight

Merriman Shearing School, Brewarrina

New South Wales

Merriman Station, a 16,000 ha sheep property on the outskirts of Brewarrina in north west New South Wales, is the venue for an Indigenous shearing school operated by the ILC that trains young Indigenous people for paid jobs in the wool industry.

Involving experienced industry partners, the school aims to place all graduates who have obtained the Certificate II in Agriculture in employment upon completion. In 2014, over 83% of graduating participants were placed into real jobs. The majority of these were employed by shearing contractors as shearers and woolhandlers.

Merriman Shearing School hosts a three-week pre-vocational course followed by a 13-week practical training programme covering shearing skills, workplace safety, wool handling, animal husbandry, fencing and life skills.

The programmes are underpinned by strong industry partners. Bateman Shearing, an Indigenous shearing contractor, provides training and mentoring and MEGT provides employment services and accredited training for the school. In addition, an agreement with a local grazier ensures a supply of up to 8,000 sheep and an income source to assist in meeting training costs for the school each year.

There were two trainee intakes in 2013–14, involving participants from the local area and from as far afield as VIC and QLD.

During each 16-week school, participants receive the opportunity to attend and compete in shearing and woolhandling competitions at agricultural shows and events, both in NSW, and interstate in QLD and VIC.

In 2013–14, 48 participants commenced the three-week pre-vocational training course. Out of those, 30 went on to undertake the 13-week vocational training programme with 23 graduating with a Cerificate II in Agriculture. All graduating participants were able to maintain a shearing rate of 80 sheep per day, an industry requirement for a learning shearer.

In 2013–14, the ILC provided $494,855 for equipment, property operating costs and Indigenous shearing school running costs.