Are you interested in working in a diverse industry where you will be working with sheep everyday and involved in the production of high quality lamb and wool products? Working in agriculture could give you the opportunity to work in the sheep industry.

Britain is one of the European Union’s biggest sheep producers, with a national flock of approximately 35 million sheep and lambs. As well as meat, British sheep farmers produce about 35 million kilograms of wool every year. Wool is still an important source of cloth but it competes with cotton and artificial fibres.

Sheep are hardy animals that are suited to a wide range of conditions. They can be kept in the open for much, if not all, of the year. Britain's most important sheep product is meat, particularly lamb. Wool is a by-product and now forms less than 5 per cent of the income from sheep.

Over 70 breeds of sheep are found in Britain, which is more than any other type of livestock. The major breeds can be classified into three groups:

Mountain and Moorland/Upland - These are small, hardy sheep which are sure-footed and exhibit good mothering abilities, reflecting the harsh, damp climate and rugged terrain which is their native home.

Longwool - Larger in size than the mountain breeds these sheep are best suited to good quality grassland.

Terminal Sire Breeds - These are compact, muscular types of sheep, which are suited to good quality grassland and kinder lowland environments.

Sheep dogs are vitally important to the sheep farmer. Without them he would have great difficulty in rounding up sheep, particularly on large hill farms. Training and handling sheep dogs is a very skilful job and many competitions, known as sheep dog trials, are held to find the best dogs and handlers. The most common breed of sheep dog is the Border Collie.

All-terrain vehicles (four wheel motorbikes) are also increasingly used to help the modern shepherd check his stock and care for them correctly.

There are many ways to enter a career in the sheep industry. If you have no formal qualifications but can demonstrate your enthusiasm for working with sheep, there are opportunities for you.

The following websites have more information on the sheep industry:

Farming and Countryside Education (FACE) - www.face-online.org.uk

National Farmers Union (NFU) - www.nfu.org.uk

National Sheep Association - www.nationalsheep.org.uk