TAFE NSW graduate and Central West local, Emma Hawkins, has achieved third place in the AWEX National Graduate Wool Classer Competition at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, competing against nine of the strongest wool classing graduates from across the country.

The competition has been running for 12 years and provides an opportunity for graduates to showcase their skills at a major industry event.

Emma Hawkins studied a Certificate IV in Wool Classing at TAFE NSW Bathurst, and was hand selected to represent TAFE NSW in the prestigious competition.

“Competing at the Royal Easter Show was an incredible experience and I really enjoyed meeting the other competitors who came from all different locations and had different knowledge and experience of all different wool,” Emma said.

“It was a high-pressure competition with some very talented graduates, but the atmosphere was friendly and that helped calm my nerves.

“We had to class different types of wool into their lines and make justifications for our decisions.

“The added time pressures were daunting, but I had practised with my trainer in the lead up to the show and I was pleased to get some positive feedback from the judges during my oral presentation.

“There were some things that I didn’t practise, such as converting the clean price to the greasy price, but my TAFE NSW training kicked in and I was able to perform on the day.

“I’m really proud to come away with third place.”

TAFE NSW Wool Classing teacher, Kim Jenkins, said Emma was one of the top performing students within the Certificate IV Wool Classing cohort last year.

“It was exciting to see her progress to the Royal Easter Show,” Mrs Jenkins said.

“She performed really well on the day, keeping her cool under the time restrictions and showcasing her skills as a Wool Classer.

“The competition was very tight on the day, so to come away with a placing is exceptional.

“The whole of Dubbo Rural Skills and Environment Campus, of which Bathurst Wool falls under, are really proud of Emma. We wish her well in her current studies and future wool classing pursuits."

Emma is now studying a Bachelor of Agriculture and working at both AgriWest Bathurst and her grandparents’ super fine property.

“I’m really passionate about the wool industry and I’m keen to get more experience now that I have my Stencil,” Emma said.

“In the future I’d love to keep studying and move into a research space within the industry, but for now I’m happy honing my skills.”