Any business or sporting organisation will only be as strong as the people that it employs and works with. Credit then to Horse Racing Ireland’s Education and Training Department – equuip and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board who have launched an Industry Induction Programme which will set a consistent standard for introducing new stable staff to horse racing.
The new online course is mandatory for stable staff entering the racing industry for the first time. It is a general introduction to the industry and topics covered include health and safety, equine safety and care, and race day practices and procedures.
The course will set a minimum standard of education for all new entrants to the industry and ties in with the continuing professional development and education objectives of HRI’s equuip and the IHRB.
Any new recruit signing-up with a trainer will need to self-register for the course at www.equuip4learning.com. The online induction course must then be completed within 30 days of registration as a stable employee with the IHRB.
The equuip4learning.com website is a joint project between HRI’s equuip and the IHRB as an educational support for the industry and is laptop, tablet and mobile compatible. For staff whose first language is not English, there is an option to download a translator facility. The platform also provides stable staff with information about the stable staff pension scheme, further training options and supports that are available.
While mandatory for new stable staff, the content on equuip4learning.com is available to all stable staff who want to make use of the training and other resources provided on the platform. General information about stable staff employment can be found on the IHRB website or by following this link www.ihrb.ie.
“This can only be a positive step going forward for professional stable staff and help align us with other industries,” said Ger Flynn of the Irish Stable Staff Association. “The education part is welcome and is key to getting new employees into the workforce.”
“Anything that helps people entering this sector is great to create a basic education and consistency in information and training,” added John Fitzgerald from the Restricted Irish Racehorse Trainers Association.
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