Racing SA has teamed up with a new Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to deliver the Government funded racing qualifications in South Australia. Racing Queensland’s training department will now offer the five Racing Certificates here in SA.
Former jockey Dale Spriggs will travel regularly to SA to support students with their training including apprentices who are undertaking their Certificate IV in Racing (Jockey).
For the first time students will also have access to online training and the plan is to branch into schools.
“Our big objective is to get out into the schools and deliver Certificate II in Racing and attract prospective new employees into the racing industry,” said Dale.
“We’re hoping to attract school children once they leave school to get involved in racing. By doing the Certificate II through school they can do their qualification and that then gives them a walk-up start into working in the racing industry.
“Often we just think of racing as looking after horses and doing boxes but it’s not just that. There’s so many other opportunities out there, and we think if we can start getting in there at schools and advertising that these opportunities are out there, we’ll get a great response from that,” he said.
Racing SA’s Industry Development and Training Officer Clare Lindop is working with the Department of Education and Dale to have the Certificate II in Racing ready to go in schools by next year. It’ll be delivered as a VET course for SACE students and provide a broad introduction to the industry including horse handling, exploration fieldtrips to racecourses, veterinary hospitals, stud farms and other racing related activities.
Dale will also work with the Racing SA Apprentice Academy in delivering the Certificate IV in Racing (Jockey).
“Until the end of next year I’ll be coming over monthly for apprentice school and working closely with Dean Pettit so the apprentices can all get their Cert IV. I’ll be visiting the race tracks every morning when I’m there, so if any racehorse trainers want to put their employers through a Cert III (Stablehand) or Cert III (Trackwork Rider) we’ll be available to do that.
“A pre-requisite of becoming an apprentice jockey is you must do your Cert III (Trackwork Rider) so we’ll start to look for prospective apprentices as well,” said Dale.
The first step in gaining racing qualifications is to visit www.racingsa.com.au and fill out the expressions of interest form.
“I am really looking forward to working with RTO Racing Queensland and running a Certificate II in Racing for school students,” said Clare.
“This is something I have been campaigning for over the last few years and to see it coming into fruition is just so exciting.
“Give the specialised nature of working with thoroughbred racehorses, to be able to provide students with the skills and knowledge to be work-place ready is vital. We will also be looking to our racehorse trainers to help the new students with work experience opportunities and think this could be a really positive outcome with students then graduating into a stable hand or trackwork rider role, and possibly a further on-the-job traineeship.
“The big point of difference with Racing Queensland is they are offering an online component for the training qualifications which fulfils the expectations of the emerging workforce and makes it that much easier for potential employees to get the qualifications they need to become a part of our great industry,” she said.
