Racing
Strengthening Our Future Workforce Together
Creating stronger, more sustainable training pathways for South Australia's horse industry was the focus of a recent Skills Insight: SA Horse Industry Roundtable, which brought together leaders from racing, education, government and training to tackle a shared workforce challenge.
The roundtable, organised through Skills Insight was part of a project to explore delivery in the Vocational Education Training; and to explore how training can be improved across racing and horse industry roles.
At the centre of Racing SA's contribution was Racing Careers SA and the broader workforce strategy, STRIDES.
As shared during the session, South Australia's thoroughbred racing industry supports 3,462 full-time equivalent jobs, conducts more than 180 race meetings each season, and contributes more than $515 million to the state economy. Behind those figures is a workforce that keeps the industry moving — caring for horses, maintaining welfare standards, supporting operations and helping racing thrive across both metropolitan and regional communities.
Through the first industry-wide workforce survey, Racing SA has gained a clearer picture of how people enter the workforce, how they learn, and what risks may affect long-term retention.
Key findings showed that 65 per cent of staff are recruited through word of mouth, while 74 per cent are learning on the job. It also revealed that 88 per cent believe they or their staff would benefit from off-the-job training, while 40 per cent said they were either unsure about staying in the industry or were considering leaving altogether.
Clare Lindop said the roundtable was an important opportunity to bring the right people together to address shared challenges.
"I have been grateful for the support of Diana McNaughton and Christine Milner from Skills Insight; they have been listening and assisting to see that our message is heard and it's about feeding the right data into the broader national system managed by Jobs and Skills Australia.
South Australia's racing industry depends on skilled, passionate people, and if we want to protect its future, we need to make it easier for people to enter the industry, build their skills and support a long-term career in it," Lindop said.
Robyn Verrall, South Australian Skills Commission Board Member and Chair of the Agribusiness, Food and Wine/Beverages Industry Skills Council, said the discussion highlighted the value of collaboration in building workforce capability across the sector.
"Workforce challenges like these are shared across many industries, which is why conversations like this are so valuable," Verrall said.
"Bringing together industry, training providers, schools and government helps us better understand the barriers, but more importantly, it helps identify practical, coordinated ways to improve access to training and support future workforce needs."
The session reinforced STRIDES priority areas, with a shared commitment to creating clearer pathways, improving access to quality training, and strengthening long-term workforce sustainability across South Australia's racing and horse industry.
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