The 2019 Wyvern Weekend attendees learning about ram selection.

YOUNG sheep and wool handlers are being invited to apply for the 2020 Peter Westblade Scholarship and Wyvern training weekend.

The scholarship runs for 12 months and is tailored to each recipient’s interests.

The scholarship is now in its ninth year of providing opportunities to experience all aspects of the sheep and wool industry, with the education and network of mentors lasting a lifetime.

It is open to young people aged 18 to 30 and honors the late Peter Westblade, a Lockhart sheep producer passionate about breeding profitable sheep, and a supporter of young people interested in agriculture.

The Wyvern training weekend will be held for the second year on February 8-9, 2020.

Thanks to the generosity of TA Field Estates Pty Ltd, 30 young people will take part in interactive workshops and mentoring over the two days at the state-of-the-art facilities at Wyvern Station, Carrathool.

Topics covered over the weekend included sheep selection, stockmanship, agribusiness skills, sheep and wool marketing, and new technologies in agriculture and professional development.

Peter Westblade Scholarship executive officer Georgie McGuiness said the scholarship aimed to deliver knowledge to young people aspiring for a career in the sheep and wool industry, through a personalised 12-month period.

“The Wyvern training weekend offers intensive interactive workshops to educate young sheep and wool enthusiasts with their peers over two days.

“It also allows young people to rub shoulders and engage with the best in the sheep and wool industry,” Ms McGuiness said.

“We are working on providing hands on experience and mentoring for young people through the programs we run.

“The scholarship is unique to each person as it is tailored to each individual’s interests whilst the Wyvern Training Weekend offers an intensive weekend of workshops to educate young people in key areas of the sheep and wool industry,” she said.

“Both the scholarship and Wyvern Training weekend allow young people to build a network with their peers and mentors which will last throughout their career.”

Applications close on Friday, December 20 at 5pm for both the scholarship and Wyvern Training weekend. Scholarship applicants will be short-listed in early February for interviews by an industry panel.

The 2020 Peter Westblade Scholarship recipient(s) will be announced at a dinner in Wagga Wagga, NSW, on Thursday March 3, 2020. The Wyvern Training weekend will accept the first 30 nominations received.

For more information visit www.pwscholarship.com.au