This course is ideal if you wish to gain entry into the wool industry and will teach you how to pen a sheep in preparation for shearing, and to press and bale the carefully sorted wool.

Shed hands play a key role in the operation of the shearing shed. If you’re a newbie, this is where you will likely find yourself starting out performing routine duties such a penning and wool pressing.

Also included in this course are a series of wellbeing videos we call Work Wise: Eat Wise, Money Wise, Move Wise and Listening and Communication.

As a shearing shed hand, you’ll be involved in:

• Carefully and efficiently moving sheep into catching pens, keeping the pens full for shearers
• Having a clear focus on animal welfare at all times in the handling and managing of the sheep
• Pressing and branding the bales of wool
• Assisting a wool handler to sort wool for pressing, if required
• Working as a key part of a shed team, understanding roles and responsibilities and communication within the team.
• Eat wisely for a longer more sustainable career

Watch the videos in any order. There are videos for four types of press – find out which one you’ll be working on and watch the videos!

On this WOMOlife Shed Hand penning and pressing course you’ll learn:

• How to work with the farmer to bring in the sheep from the outside pens to the catching pens inside the shed
• How to keep the pens filled during runs depending on shearer tallies;
• How to take care and consider the health and wellbeing of the sheep as they move and are held in the pens
• Types of pens and gates,
• Types of cut outs and tallies
• How and what is needed to set up the press
• How to pick up wool
• Best practice to fill the wool bale to be compact and secure
• Routine equipment and safety checks
• How to weigh, compact and brand the bale
• Set up, pressing, capping and unloading for the following industry presses:  Hydraulic Vanguard, Crank Down, Hydraulic TPW, Lyco Dominator.