Shearing jobs to bounce back

Gun shearer Steve Mudford of Muddy Shearing (right) with 2WEB Manager Wayne Harrison PHOTO TWH
World champion shearer Steve Mudford is encouraging young people not to leave the shearing industry, despite the tough times due to the drought.
Steve said the drought will break eventually and when it does there will almost certainly be a shortage of shearers ready to take up the clippers.
“There are contractors who are recruiting but during drought it’s hard for a young person to get a job and good shearers are already working, so it’s patchy work.
“But when it does come good we’ll be struggling to get shearers and shed hands,” Steve said.
“People are leaving the industry because consistent work is just not there so we are trying to get them back and train up new people, because when the sheep breed up in numbers again, we’ll have to find enough shearers to do the work.”
Read more in the printed edition of the Western Herald.