PENELOPE KILBY
THE Boorowa community is taking the bull by the horns and
developing its own strategies to keep its youth working in local rural
industries.
Boorowa Business Association (BBA) member Leanne Croker,
“Willow Dale”, with the support of the association, has developed the BBA wool
harvesting scholarship to encourage rural skills and training within the
Boorowa district.
“It is vital we encourage young students with the ambition to
become a shearer, to have a career in the wool harvesting industry, as this
industry is a major lifeline to the Boorowa district and surrounding rural
sector,” Mrs Croker said.
Local businesses in the rural sector have donated generously
to get the scholarship off the ground, which gives a student at Boorowa High
School, aged 15 years and over, the opportunity to complete the Shearing and
Wool Handling Course at TAFE Western, Dubbo, under the guidance of legendary
shearers Ian Elkins and Mike Pora.
The scholarship covers travel expenses, accommodation and a
shearing kit complete with moccasins, trousers, belt and singlet.
TAFE Western shearing and wool harvesting instructor Mike
Pora, “Windrush”, Gilgandra, said he hoped other communities could find ways to
promote their thriving rural industries to school aged students.
Mr Pora said the scholarship winner would do an introductory
wool harvesting course which TAFE Western offered to high schools.
“The course we offer introduces students to the wool
harvesting industry.
“A lot of these kids might not join the wool industry, but by
getting them involved, they might look at other careers in agriculture,” he
said.
Mr Pora said high schools in Dunedoo, Coonamble, Wellington,
Hillston and Cooma were just some of those that had offered the course to their
students.
He said the next round of courses would be held in December
and January during the school holidays.
“By getting students involved in agriculture, we are
hopefully saving our local towns,” he said.
“Farming is an important part of Australia.”
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