More than 120 young farmers are improving their sheep shearing skills this year, thanks to discounted training from British Wool.
An exclusive discount for YFC members meant they could book on any British Wool shearing course for half the usual price. Those who registered for the scheme before 31 March, only paid £110 (+VAT) for a course, instead of the usual £220 + VAT.
Three members of Swan YFC in Kent are feeling more confident about their shearing skills after taking part in the training. Jaylea Scoones, Steve Outteridge and Club Chair Katie Outteridge all registered for the two-day beginners machine shearing course.
Swan YFC has a few fields with animals and barns where the club holds its meetings. Katie wanted to learn new skills so she could shear the sheep on the club's farm and help with associated jobs. She has now gained a Blue Seal qualification and is looking forward to competing in the future.
“Once I'm more experienced, after practising with the sheep, I hope to do shearing competitions and take on more jobs,” said Katie. “The course has helped me feel a lot more confident when shearing and handling sheep. I would recommend this course to others. It's a rewarding and useful skill, especially when you can shear your own or other people’s sheep.”
Fellow club member Jaylea Scoones was also keen to learn the skill, especially as she is likely to use the qualification at university for her veterinary course. “I feel a lot more confident with shearing now I have completed the course, especially because I went in knowing almost nothing,” said Jaylea who also paid half price for her course through the YFC discounted scheme.
“It has really helped me with not only shearing but also handling sheep better in these type of situations and building my confidence around different kinds of sheep breeds and many sizes.”
A keen advocate for the course, Jaylea says she would recommend it to other YFC members especially because of the support she received from the instructors.
“The instructors are not only great at what they do but they can really support you and understand no matter how quickly you learn. It’s a really good gateway for young farmers to start expanding their knowledge deeper into farming and for the different skills you can learn, ” said Jaylea.
NFYFC’s Sheep Shearing national final is on 8 July 2025 at the Great Yorkshire Show.