SOME of the wool industry’s best and brightest were in Clare last week to put lustre to their leadership skills.
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The week-long Breeding Leadership course had 26 people from throughout Australia taking part, including national young Merino challenge winners Belinda Amess, Vic, and Jordan Hoban, NSW.
Course convenor, Rural Directions associate Carlyn Sherriff, said the course, which runs every two years, selected the participants through an application process, resulting in a high standard of members.
She said the course included a wide range of people involved in different sections of the wool industry, including stud breeders, woolgrowers, woolclassers, wool agents and students. “We’re trying to profile the whole wool industry,” she said.
Since it began in 2002, more than 140 people have completed the program.
“We’ve found about 50 per cent of people find out about it from past participants, so we’ve got a very good alumni network,” Ms Sherriff said.
The primary focus of the course was on leadership skills, with days spent on strategy, teamwork, governance and culture.
There was also the chance to visit breeders, wool processors and meet with industry representatives.
The past three courses have been sponsored by Australian Wool Innovation.
AWI woolgrower extension and adoption manager Emily King said the course aimed to help anyone young in the wool industry to develop themselves and their businesses.
As well as helping develop skills, Ms King said the course could also be a valuable succession planning tool within the industry. “This is a great way to identify talent and fosters young people across the industry,” she said.
“It gives us a bank of people we know are interested in taking up roles in the industry that we can work with.”
Participant Sam Neumann works with the Elders national livestock team, based in Adelaide, and thought it was a good opportunity and time in her career to take part in a developmental program in an industry she was passionate about.
Sheep breeder Ed Morgan, Outalpa, Cockburn, runs a Poll Merino operation with his parents and said past participants and SA Merino Breeders group members encouraged him to apply.
“It’s a good chance to further my leadership skills,” he said.
Sheep Genetics MerinoSelect officer Caris Jones, Armidale, NSW, said she enjoyed the chance for personal development.
“I wanted to learn more about leadership and working with people,” she said.
“There’s also networking; this is a good opportunity to meet people in the industry.”
- Details: www.wool.com/breedingleadership
