RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING BROUGHT CENTRE STAGE BY BHB

10 Feb 2003 Pre-2014 Releases

The British Horseracing Boar?_x0019_s commitment to Staff Training and Recruitment for Racing and Breeding is to be significantly enhanced following a restructuring of this key area of the Industry, recommended, as a priority, by the BHB Racing Review Committee.

BHB is to appoint a Recruitment and Training Director who will take responsibility, within the Governing Authority, for recruitment and training strategy, the central direction and determination of training requirements and the allocation of funds from industry sources. The Director will chair, and be advised by, a representative and consultative Training Committee of interested parties.

The Director will also have overall responsibility for the BHB and Jockey Club’s Human Resource function. The post will be publicly advertised immediately.

BHB’s direct assumption of these recruitment and training responsibilities will involve a redefinition of the role of the British Horseracing Training Board (BHTB), which will continue as an independent body whose prime focus will be the awarding of qualifications, advice on training content and quality control and assessment of the training providers. It will also have continuing responsibility for the important and increasingly successful Education Programme.

BHB Chairman Peter Savill said today:

“I am delighted that, after a most constructive consultative process, the BHB Board strongly supported the Racing Review Committee’s view that, if our Industry is to continue to develop and grow successfully, we must have clear and effective recruitment and training policies in place. Racing and Breeding will only thrive if we have a well-trained workforce, of sufficient size and with the necessary skills, to cope with the increasingly demanding leisure environment. It is furthermore essential that some of the additional revenue coming into Racing is applied for recruitment and training purposes for the benefit of our much-prized workforce. As the Governing Authority, with responsibility for strategic development, BHB must and will play a pivotal role in this key area.

“The BHB Director will work closely with all interested parties, including BHTB, in developing and implementing the strategy and in ensuring that the Industry’s recruitment and training requirements are understood and met, and that value for money is secured. Until the new Director is in post, responsibilities will continue to be discharged on the current basis.

“These changes do not reflect in any way on the excellent work of BHTB. This independent body will continue to play a key role in staff training and BHB has every confidence that, given its excellent and much commended track record, BHTB will discharge its redefined role with at least the same degree of efficiency, effectiveness and creativity that it has shown to date.”

BHTB Chairman Rhydian Morgan-Jones added:

“I fully support the new arrangements and am particularly pleased that BHB itself has again recognised the excellent work which the BHTB team, under Gill Lovell, have done to enhance the Industry’s training capability and standards and to promote the rapidly developing Education Programme.

“We look forward to working with the new Director to build on the very firm foundations which the BHTB has established for an activity which is crucial to the future development and growth of our Industry.”

For further information, please contact BHB Communications Manager Alan Delmonte on 020 7343 3318