Wool Hide and Skin Classers
Note: Completion of a TAFE SA course does not guarantee an employment outcome. Formal requirements other than educational qualifications (eg licensing, professional registration), may apply to some occupations.
| Job Prospects |
Average; employment in this occupation is expected to decline to 2015-16. |
| Salary Range |
$25,000 to $35,000 plus |
| Brief |
An eye for detail and being able to tell the difference between a poor, average and high quality product, is what you'll need in the wool, hide and skin classing occupations.
There are currently around 90 wool, hide and skin classers employed in South Australia. Employment is largely full-time and most work in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry. Most persons in this occupation are male and over half are employed outside the Adelaide metropolitan area. This occupation has a younger age profile with just around a quarter of workers aged 45 years or older. |
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TAFE SA courses that may be relevant for: Wool Hide and Skin Classers
Accredited (Award)
Introduction
Sheep's wool and skin is used for various purposes such as clothing and car seat covers, while cattle hide and skin, after it is has been dried, can be used during the manufacture of clothing and shoes. Lamb wool is a particularly sought after wool given its low level of coarseness. Sheep skin is commonly used for making the chamois cloths that you wash your car with.
Classers sort wool, hide or skin into categories according to factors such as the length of the wool staples (when wool fibres grow on sheep they form clusters of naturally forming fibres in the fleece), thickness, breed, age, colour and yield. Classers usually work as either wool classers or hide and skin classers.
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Education Requirements
To work as a classer, you must be fit and able to work in a team. Of the current Wool Hide and Skin Classers 100% have either an Advanced Diploma or a Diploma.
To help you gain employment in this occupation TAFE SA offer the following courses; Certificate II in Wool Handling; Certificate III in Wool Clip Preparation; Certificate IV in Advanced Wool Handling or Certificate IV in Wool Classing. For further information on courses go to the TAFE SA website http://www.tafe.sa.edu.au.
Career Path
This industry has been badly affected in recent years by the wool stockpile. This has now bottomed out and the industry may improve once again in the medium term. However, the demand for wool classers is helped due to the high employee turnover rate within the occupation.
Industries
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade
Nature of the Job
Wool classers sort sheep's wool. Wool classing is generally carried out in an operational shearing shed or a classing house. A classing house is where farmers send their wool for sorting, which is then sent away for sale. Huge clumps of wool are hand sorted by classers. The portions of wool clippings that is not good quality must be removed.
Wool quality is normally classed as Good to Super. This type of wool has good colour, which is free or nearly free of any burr and/or seed. The wool may also be of Ordinary quality, which means that it contains light to moderate burr and/or seed and may be discoloured or slightly damaged. Then there is Inferior quality wool which is heavily burred and discoloured and contains a large quantity of seed.
On the other hand, hide and skin classers class cattle hide after the hide has been removed at an abattoir. The value of the pelt (skin) for sale is the key consideration.
Once a skin is removed it needs to be cured. Some common forms of curing are wet salting by drum agitation or conveyor salting. The skins must be cured within a few hours of slaughter. Specially prepared kiln dried salt containing concentrations of bactericides and special fungicides are also used.
Typical Physical Working Environment
As most classers are service providers to the agricultural industry, the availability of work depends upon activity in this area. For example, wool classers are in demand during the shearing season, but must be willing to follow work during the quieter periods. Classers can also work in farm produce wholesaling, with some hide and skin classers involved in meat product manufacturing. A small number of wool classers are self employed, though most are employed by shearing contractors, wool brokers and woollen mills. Wool, hide and skin classers are also responsible for keeping computer records, training and leading a team of workers and may be asked to give advice in their areas of expertise.
Typical Occupational Example
Classers typically work in sheds or large warehouses and the working conditions can be physically demanding. You can look forward to the prospect of being on your feet for most of the day and having to regularly lift large amounts of wool or skin. These classers are pretty much on the go throughout the day.
Earning Potential
Wool classers earn about $200 a day. As the work is seasonal, however, this works out to be somewhere between $25,000 to $35,000 per year. Wool classers who are also contractors can earn much more. Hide classers earn within the same range, however, they are less susceptible to seasonal trends in job availability.
Further Information
For further information about all TAFE SA Courses, phone 1800 882 661 or enquire online