Beginning with a Blue Seal award and running up to the highest Gold Seal award, these courses offer training for all - from beginners to advanced. Across the UK there are 120 venues. A team of 60 instructors services the courses, which are run at local centers – some at colleges and some on farms.

British Wool is an agricultural co-operative representing around 40,000 producers.

The aim is to provide a platform for people to learn and improve their skills.

Online courses accounted for 33 per cent of the attendances last year. This year, British Wool expects even more – especially as a ten percent discount is given for online courses.

For 2018, British Wool has additional advanced courses. The advanced courses are specifically tailored for those who need to fine-tune their existing skills and for those who want to go on to compete and travel around the world. These courses will improve skill and output and make shearers more commercially productive giving them a competitive edge. The instructors are very experienced and have a high profile in their respective countries.

In addition to mechanised shearing, which deals with large numbers of sheep, British Wool runs courses for wool-handlers. Correct wool-handling on the farm brings many benefits to the farmer, and the course teaches the importance of the fiber and how excellent fleece presentation maximises the value of the wool.