National Graduate Wool Classer Competition 2025 placegetters, from left, second, Sarah Fessey; first, Victoria Lang, and; third, Aleisha Rintoule.

TASMANIA’S Victoria Lang has won the prestigious 2025 AWEX/TAFE NSW National Graduate Wool Classer Competition to take home the coveted ‘golden stencil’ from the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

The TasTAFE graduate from Ross was trained by respected wool classing educator Evelyn Archer.

Second place and the ‘silver stencil’ was taken by Sarah Fessey from Molong, New South Wales, trained by Kim Jenkins of TAFE NSW Bathurst.

Sarah also earned the DAS Campbell Prize as the top-performing graduate from NSW and Queensland – a particularly special achievement in the 50th year of this long-standing award.

Third place and the ‘bronze stencil’ went to Aleisha Rintoule of Gymbowen, Victoria. She was trained by Moera Hammonds, Lucy Hammonds and Brian Kearney of SCAA Shearing Woolhandler Training Incorporated (VIC).

The competition celebrated its 13th year and brought together the top 2024 wool classing graduates from South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales.

AWEX said the calibre of contestants was outstanding, with all participants demonstrating excellent technical ability and professionalism – a credit to their trainers and RTOs In an exciting development for 2025.

For the first time, competitors were required to complete WoolClip documentation and simulate the scanning of eBales, interpreting written and verbal details as part of a commercial wool classing scenario.

AWEX wool classer registrar Fiona Raleigh said the addition of WoolClip and eBale reflected the need to prepare graduates for the digital future of the Australian wool industry.

“It’s vital our new classers are not only highly skilled in wool handling and preparation but also equipped to manage digital traceability requirements, which are fast becoming industry standard,” she said.

AWEX said the National Graduate Wool Classer Competition continues to play a key role in celebrating excellence in wool classing, lifting the profile of the profession, and promoting wool classing as a valuable and rewarding career pathway within the wool industry. AWEX acknowledged the support of TAFE NSW, the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, and the many trainers, mentors and industry partners who make the competition possible each year.