Trustees
The Australian Wool Education Trust is administered by 8 Trustees, 3 appointed by AWTA Ltd, 3 appointed by Australian Wool Innovation and 2 by
the Federation of Australian Wool Organisations (FAWO).
The Trust is an independent body, with policy being fully
determined by the Trustees, without influence from AWTA Ltd, FAWO
and/or AWI.
The current Trustees are:
- David Ward: (Chairman of Trustees)
Principal, David Ward Consulting Pty Ltd
- Peter Sommerville : (Secretary of Trustees)
formerly Corporate Development Manager, AWTA Ltd
- Michael Jackson :
Managing Director AWTA Ltd
- John Michell:
Immediate Past Chairman, Michell
Pty Ltd
- Rod Thirkell-Johnston:
wool grower and former president of Wool Council of Australia
and Australian Superfine Wool Growers Association
- Cameron Archer:
Principal, Tocal Agricultural Centre
- Kevin Bell :
Professor Animal Science, Murdoch University
Director, Australian Wool Innovation (AWI)
- Andrew Vizard:
Associate Professor, Faculty of Vetinary Science, Melbourne University
History
Until 1996 the Department of Wool & Animal Science at the University
of New South Wales was the only Australian Tertiary institution
providing comprehensive specialist training in wool and
textile science and technology. Other institutions offered
some training through the provision of wool science related
topics as elective subjects.
As such, the Department was a major source of graduates
employed in wool marketing and technology industries and
in related research. Graduates have been and are still employed
in the wool broking and exporting industries, wool processing,
CSIRO, State Departments of Agriculture, The Woolmark Company,
Australian Wool Innovation and AWTA Ltd.
The decision of the University of New South Wales at the
end of 1996 to close the Department created a void in the
tertiary training of undergraduates and graduates and also
reduced the facilities for post graduate training and research
- a situation which further exacerbated opportunities lost
with the closure of the CSIRO Division of Wool Technology
laboratory at Ryde, NSW, in mid 1996.
AWTA Ltd moved to minimise the effect of the closure of
the Department of Wool & Animal Science by the establishment
of "The AWTA Ltd Wool Education Trust"
with a grant of AUD3,000,000.
The Trust provided funds for the promotion and encouragement
of education in undergraduate and/or post graduate training
in wool and wool science and technology, from woolgrowing
to the textile product stage, including such subjects as:
- fibre science;
- wool production, including management, breeding and
preparation for sale;
- wool metrology, including testing technology, process
control, Total Quality Management and the prediction of
processing performance; and
- wool and textile marketing, including trading, processing
and promotion of woollen products.
In June 2004 Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) invested four million dollars in the AWTA Ltd Wool Education Trust. The capital for the AWI investment became available after the sale of the CSIRO Prospect property.
With the AWI grant, the Trust's total capital almost doubled. It is anticipated that the extra funding will enable the Trust to generate up to $0.5M per annum for education in the wool industry. The Trust is therefore able to fund skills development for the industry on a much larger scale than before.
As a consequence of this grant the Trust was renamed the "Australian Wool Education Trust" , with 8 trustees.
Application of Funds
Funds may be used to provide scholarships and/or fund an
academic position. They may also be used to fund other resources
as required.
Funding for post graduate research is restricted to wool
metrology and its applications.
Funds are not restricted to any one institution.
Allocation of funds is determined by the Trustees.
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