Australian wool brokers are being encouraged to apply for the 2020 National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia Wool Broker Award.
Now in its ninth year, the award recognises excellence in service to wool growers, auctioneering and/or innovation by a wool broker who is working for a NCWSBA member and has been in the wool broking industry for 10 years or less.
NCWSBA president John Colley said the objective of the award was to encourage newer members of the wool broking industry and to promote excellence in all aspects of wool broking.
"NCWSBA, through the award, has been promoting both wool broking and the Australian wool industry as an interesting prospective career for young people, including graduates, since 2012," Mr Colley said.
"We also seek to raise the profile of and increase the understanding of the important role of wool brokers."
The prize for the award is an all expenses paid trip to attend the 2021 International Wool Textile Organisation congress to be held in Kyoto, Japan, in May 2021.
Arrangements will also be made for the 2020 award winner to visit the wool textile industry and retailers in Japan.
"Past winners of the award have attended IWTO Congresses in China, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Italy and South Africa," Mr Colley said.
"The award winners have also visited wool textile mills and wool growing properties in these countries, expanding their experience and understanding of the global wool industry."
Due to the cancellation of the 2020 IWTO congress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now planned that the 2019 Wool Broker Award winner Samantha Wan, Elders, will go to the Nanjing Wool Market Conference in Haining, China, in September.
Ms Wan will also visit wool textile mills in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.
An independent selection panel will review all applications and shortlisted finalists will be notified by July 24.
The finalists will attend the NCWSBA's annual general meeting to give a short presentation in support of their nomination.
The winner will be announced at the Wool Week dinner, which will be held on August 27.
Email info@ncwsba.org for nomination forms.
