Tasracing has secured an accreditation and training scheme for Tasmania’s thoroughbred and harness participants that will ensure they have the opportunity to progress their careers beyond 2010.
Next year new licensing rules will be in place in some states that will make it mandatory for racing industry participants to hold a certain certificated skill level in order to work in their chosen area of expertise.
Tasracing recently invited a number of very experienced thoroughbred and harness participants to attend information sessions in the North-West (Spreyton) North (Mowbray) and South (Brighton) that were designed to explain in detail how the program is expected to work.
Tasracing recognises the importance of providing specific training and accreditation for industry participants, and as such has been successful in securing funding for fifty racing industry participants to obtain a national qualification.
Once the new rules are in place nationally, a Tasmanian racing industry participant will not be able to pursue his or her careers interstate unless he or she has the required certificated skill accreditation.
The three-year program is a joint venture between Tasracing and Skills Tasmania, with all accreditation to be assessed by experts from Polytechnic that is the registered training organisation aligned to the program.
“This accreditation program will serve as a platform on which Tasmania’s thoroughbred and harness industry participants can further develop their skills and for the first 50 to enroll it will be at no cost to the participants,” said Tasracing Chief Racing Officer Dave Fisher.
“This is a major project and the response we have had to the introduction of the program has been outstanding.”
“Tasracing is fortunate to have Gai Gauci as a consultant to drive this project as she worked with the program in Victoria,” Fisher said.
The process for gaining this qualification from a trainer perspective is for Skills Tasmania to recognise the industry experience/expertise that trainers currently have – it is not about trying to teach industry experts how to do their job.
For most experienced trainers, assessments include a self assessment and workbook.
“The Tasmanian racing industry employs an estimated 2500 people making it an important contributor, both directly and indirectly, to the economy of the state,” said Tasracing CEO Gary Lottering.
“From the time Tasracing was established and commenced operations, we have consistently stated that it is important to develop a racing product of consistent quality to meet or exceed our customers’ ongoing expectations.”
“A key part of this is the further development of industry participant skills.”
“The Racing Industry Skills Plan, which will be reviewed regularly to take account of our changing industry, has been developed with this in mind,” Lottering said.
It is envisaged that the scheme will be offered to greyhound industry participants at a later date.