New Zealand Equine Industry Education & Training
There are many education, training and career development options in the New Zealand equine industry. The purpose of this page is to provide:
- contact details for further information about training options
- an overview of how New Zealand equine training has developed since 1980
- a summary of the NZTBA’s involvement in the field, specifically with
the New Zealand Equine Training Scheme (supported by NZTBA Waikato)
- details of the three NZTBA Scholarships (offered and funded by NZTBA Wellington and Auckland, and Trelawney Stud – see the Scholarships page).
- Continuing education oportunities, including NZTBA seminars &
the Bomac Lecture Series, for other industry participants
Overview & History
The first formal New Zealand equine training programme was the Apprentice Jockey School established in Hastings in 1939. It's now the New Zealand Equine Academy and is based in Cambridge. Remarkably, it then took more than forty years until the New Zealand Equine Cadet Scheme, for stud grooms, harness drivers, farriers and stable-hands, was established in 1980, under the leadership of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.
The Scheme’s first field officer was Mary-Lynne Ryan who supervised up to 83 cadets at any one time, and whose work with them and with employers was outstanding. She was assisted by Jeanette Broome, one of New Zealand’s most respected private breeders. The contribution of these two remarkable women was critical to the successful development of the Scheme.
In 1985 the first oral and practical examinations to assess the skills and knowledge of stud grooms were held at Windsor Park Stud.
In 1987 the name of the scheme was changed to New Zealand Equine Training Scheme and programmes for racecourse managers and apprentice jockeys were added.
In 2000 racing stable management was offered to trainees holding positions of responsibility on studs and in racing stables.
In July 1992 government passed the Industry Training Act which formally established a framework for industry to take control of the development, implementation and administration of industry training programmes. The National Equine Training Committee was granted Industry Training Organisation (ITO) status in June 1993.
The growth of the Equine Training Scheme was paralleled by the involvement of the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, Waikato Polytechnic and Flock House in equine education. Over the years, alternative learning programmes have emerged at community level, in secondary schools, other polytechnics, private training establishments, and more recently e-learning and Massey University. Marcus Oldham College in Australia also attracts New Zealand students.
In 2005 a total of 731 people were enrolled in equine industry training across all these providers, supported & supervised by the Equine ITO and annual government funding of approximately $3.6 million. Two hundred and forty-one of these trainees were enrolled in the New Zealand Equine Training Scheme, distributed across seven programmes as follows:
| Thoroughbred Breeding |
20 |
| Apprentice Jockeys |
83 |
| Stable grooms |
17 |
| Harness racing |
87 |
| Racecourse Management |
8 |
| Racing Stable Management |
8 |
| Farriers |
16 |
Thoroughbred breeding education & the NZTBA scholarships
Although the Equine Training Scheme is now part of the broader field of industry training for which the Equine ITO is responsible, the Scheme’s thoroughbred breeding course continues to be supervised and strongly supported by the NZTBA Waikato branch. Course content includes: equine care, equine health, husbandry, equine industry, equine training, farriery, thoroughbred racing, self-management, social and cooperative skills, OSH, communications, agricultural vehicles and machinery.
In 1991 the NZTBA Wellington branch recognised the need to offer promising young people opportunities to study and work abroad by establishing two Overseas Training Scholarships, to the National Stud Diploma courses at the English & Irish National Studs. In December 2005 the Taylor family of Trelawney Stud announced that for the next three years it will sponsor the English National Stud Scholarship, now to be known as the Keith Taylor Equine Scholarship.
The NZTBA Wellington branch continues its sponsorship of the Irish National Stud Scholarship, now known as the Ted Howarth Memorial Scholarship, in honour of the former NZTBA president and Wellington branch president who died in December 2005.
In 2002 the NZTBA Auckland branch established the International Management Scholarship, for people likely to benefit from higher-level experience in all aspects of stud management. The Scholarship is funded by the Sunline Trust, set up by NZTBA Auckland with proceeds from a dinner celebrating the champion Sunline in 2002. The success of NZTBA scholarship students while overseas, and upon their return to New Zealand has been notable.
Continuing education opportunities
These include:
- NZTBA-organised seminars & forums organised at venues throughout the country, usually during the winter period, for NZTBA members and others. Topics range from the care, feeding and management of broodmares and foals to equine genetics and backgrounders on industry issues & initiatives.
- Bomac Lecture Series - organised by the NZ Equine Research Foundation and sponsored by Bomac, these usually feature three or four speakers on recent equine research. The Series is usually scheduled during the April-August period.
- The NZ Equine Research Foundation also initiates, sponsors and publishes research in many equine topics. Its publications are widely distributed throughout the New Zealand equine industry. The Foundation's trustees include NZTBA chief executive Michael Martin.
Details about each year's NZTBA seminars and Bomac Lecture Series are posted in the Latest News section of the NZTBA wesbite.
-
Press Release 4th April 2008
Equine Industry joins the Modern Apprenticeship programme
The equine industry has been granted involvement in the Tertiary Education Commissions Modern Apprenticeship programme.
The NZ Equine Industry Training Organisation is to be the Modern Apprenticeship Coordinator servicing employers and apprentices aged between 16 and 21 years across sectors of the equine industry.
Industry organisations have conducted training programmes for many years and encouraged trainees to gain national qualifications. At times employers and trainees have not had the support and encouragement to see the training through to completion.
The Modern Apprenticeship programme provides increased resources to support employers and apprentices through the selected training programmes. Progress is monitored quarterly with regional training coordinators being responsible for the paper work and reporting progress.
As the industry competes for new entrants employers are realising that onjob training is something they can offer to attract and retain staff in the industry. The Modern Apprenticeship structure has proven both popular and effective in many other industries and NZEqITO is delighted to win this approval.
Modern Apprenticeships is the obvious training programme for students leaving school who have attained equine skills through Gateway training programmes.
This announcement is very timely as the equine industry has reviewed its unit standards and will be reviewing its national qualifications in 2008 to ensure they continue to meet industry skills and the foundation skills that will prepare young people for traveling the many career pathways on offer in this exciting industry.
Dudley Brown
CHIEF EXECUTIVE NZ EQUINE ITO |