06/11/2020
The course run by LiveCorp to train shipboard stockpersons has an intensely practical focus – to ensure they have the skills necessary to look after the health and welfare of livestock during a voyage. Taking it online, therefore, took more than just setting up a video conference link.
It is a condition under the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL) that there is at least one LiveCorp Accredited Stockperson on every ship transporting livestock from Australia, and completing the course is the first step toward that accreditation.
Right from the application process, when people were asked to provide videos or other proof of their experience with livestock, LiveCorp was determined to ensure there continue to be quality stockpersons available to exporters. The course was originally delayed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, and then went online to continue to meet the needs of industry and the regulator.
The course is normally run in Fremantle, with participants spending time at local feedlots as well as in the classroom. This allows them to learn and practice the art of low-stress livestock handling, and see first-hand how to carry out a post mortem examination to determine the cause of death.
Trainers spoke with each participant ahead of the course, getting to know them and talking about their previous experience with livestock, to confirm they were confident with the basics. To provide a virtual demonstration of the more specific, practical skills required on a ship, videos were produced ahead of the course and watched as a group so the content could be discussed.
The theory component provides information on the regulations covering things like the number of livestock on the ship and the amount of food and water required to be loaded for each one. It also covers topics such as how to identify and treat common health conditions, and life on board a ship.
A WhatsApp group has been set up with both participants and trainers, to help build the engagement and camaraderie which comes naturally in person. This not only allowed for discussion during the course, but means the participants can continue supporting and learning from each other as they embark on their new career on livestock ships.
Breakout sessions were also run at the end of each day, so everyone had a chance to meet with the trainers in a smaller groups to go through the day’s content and ask any questions that hadn’t been raised previously.
Participants came from all over the country – and one even attended from his home in Indonesia. The Young Livestock Exporters’ Network (YLEN) and Queensland Livestock Exporters’ Association (QLEA) provided scholarships, as part of their efforts to encourage newcomers to the industry.
Participants sit an exam following the course – this time through an online portal rather than in the classroom – and have to pass before becoming provisionally accredited. They have two years to complete two voyages under the watchful eye of an experienced accredited stockperson, in order to gain full accreditation.