Shearing Training VR

Fast-track sheep shearing skills with VR and 360° video

VR Learning Simulations

Events & Activations

This new training app will deliver the latest in training and techniques to students and builds on the investments we have put into the industry. Shearing has been at the heart of so many regional Victorian towns for generations – and this investment will usher in a new generation of shearers and give them the skills they need as the sector continues to boom.

Gayle Tierney
Minister for Training and Skills

South West TAFE faced an urgent demand for highly skilled workers within the state of Victoria. In response to this, upgrading existing course learning resources was identified as a way to fast-track and improve training to ensure the increase of skilled workers was met.

Start Beyond worked collaboratively with South West TAFE, one of Australia's largest regional vocational training providers, to develop a suite of VR learning solutions that converted traditional paper and 2D videos into digitalised and immersive classroom environments.

Animated VR sheep-shearing training simulation showing a multiple-choice quiz question on how the sheep should be positioned when shearing the topside neck.

Sheep Shearing Training in VR

This training project was designed to fast-track students’ understanding of the sheep shearing profession. Students enrich their practical learning with a suite of tutorials that demonstrate how to grind and sharpen your blades, as well as the most efficient procedure for fully shearing a sheep from head to toe. The VR & mobile app showcases the basics of shearing through 360° videos & quizzes that evaluate key learning outcomes.

The success of the program is reflected in SW TAFE being awarded Large Training Provider of the Year for 2020 at the Australian Training Awards.

Shearing Training available now on the Apple App Store

App Store

Project Gallery

A closer look at the projects we've brought to life — from concept to final experience.

Close-up of a shearer's hands using clippers to shear wool from a sheep.

A man wearing safety glasses and earplugs grinds a shearing comb, sending sparks flying, in a shearing shed.

Hands holding a smartphone showing the "Grinding" training module menu, with Play and Quiz buttons for lessons like "Safety Instruction" and "Setting Up Grinder."

VR headset view of a training video, with a playback slider, safety tips about eyewear and footwear, and Menu and Quiz buttons.

iPhone displaying a VR training video of an instructor in a shed, with playback controls and Quiz and Menu buttons.

Two young shearing shed students wearing VR headsets and holding controllers, standing in a shed.

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Start Beyond Team

Start Beyond is Australia's award-winning VR/AR studio, founded in Surry Hills in 2015 and now spanning Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Led by CEO Angus Stevens, the team builds immersive training experiences for clients including Meta, Strivr, UTS, CommBank and Woolworths.