In most industries, continuing professional development (CPD) is a key aspect in staff management. Horseracing is no exception and the BHA have created a working party to allocate sector specific CPD points to certain opportunities in the industry, including several courses at the British Racing School.
Courses are an excellent opportunity to keep up to date on the latest skills and knowledge and provide staff with the opportunity to accumulate CPD points, enhancing their abilities and ensure all staff conform to current and good practice.
A CPD course is important to both the employee and employer. The employer will benefit from a more motivated and effective workforce who have up-to-date knowledge and skills. They will also be more engaged and happier, resulting in a lower turnover of staff as staff members will feel more committed to their job due to feeling their employer is more committed to them in turn.
With staff turnover and shortages currently a hot topic in the horseracing industry, it is invaluable to be able to incentivise staff and ensure they are happy, motivated and engaged, and is an opportunity that all trainers should be investing in.
Employees will also benefit from taking a CPD course and accumulating CPD points. One CPD point is equivalent to up to 60 minutes of learning at each level. The levels are:
Level One: Foundation level with basic information, simple learning activities and straightforward assessment.
Level Two: Intermediate level with the ability to process information and be able to solve simple problems.
Level Three: Able to handle complex information and learning activities, will work with a degree of autonomy and be able solve day to day problems.
By being proactive in their development an employee can gain confidence in their existing skills, while building on a portfolio of skills and experiences. By having a higher level, and more complex range of skills an employee will be aided in their career progression and appear more appealing to future employers. If employees are happy in their current situation, they may be in a stronger position to negotiate a pay rise or promotion after completing a CPD course.
The British Racing School offers a number of courses during which participants are able to collect CPD points, the number of points per course varies and the allocation of these points is sector specific. CPD courses at BRS include those for Assistant Trainers, Racing Secretaries, Work Riders and Staff Managers amongst others.
The next course carrying CPD points at the School is the Staff Management course (7/8 May). Covering topics such as communications, conflict management, health and safety, employment law and leadership styles, this course is invaluable for any senior team members, or those acting in a supervisory capacity. With funded places available for those already working in the industry, a cost of only £40 is payable as a non-refundable deposit for this opportunity. To find out more, or to register, email courses@brs.org.uk.
Find out more about the courses on offer here.