The Horseracing Industry People Board’s Funding is Approved
£759,000 in funding has been confirmed for the Horseracing Industry People Board.
Funding secured for Horseracing Industry People Board. © jkdesign1983, Pixabay
Key Facts:
- The Horseracing Industry People Board has been approved funding for 2025 projects
- The money will come from two sources and will total £759,000
- It will enable various new projects to go ahead while supporting existing ones
The Horseracing Industry People Board (HIPB) has announced it has secured the funding necessary for it to carry out planned projects in 2025. The money will also enable it to continue with current initiatives.
The confirmed funding amount is £759,000. It comes from two separate organisations: £489,929 from the Racing Foundation, and £ 269,438 from the Horseracing Betting Levy Board (HBLB).
How the Funding Will Be Spent
In addition to launching new projects, the funding will also support the continuation of projects that are already up and running. A key example of this is the HIPB’s workforce strategy initiative for 2025.
Thanks to the secured funding, some of the new projects that can now go ahead include workforce analysis, standardised mentoring qualifications and a pilot scheme for substance misuse. This comes after the release of the Our People, Racing’s Future guide.
The guide was developed to improve the workforce of both the British horse racing and horse breeding sectors. It covers the three key areas of attracting people, honing their skills and retaining them.
As for the new projects, the substance misuse pilot will expand on current efforts to prevent the abuse of substances and help those suffering from related problems. It will essentially expand on work currently being carried out in Newmarket, horse racing’s historic home.
A mentoring training scheme will be developed in an effort to simplify qualifications throughout the industry. This should make it easier for people to not only gain qualifications but also gain experience and land jobs.
Finally, the workforce analysis project will look at filling skill gaps and determine priorities in the recruitment process. It will initially focus on training yards, though it could shift its focus to other things.
Some of the current projects that will continue to receive funding include JETS, which trains horse jockeys, and Racing Home, which offers support to carers and working parents.
The Leader of the Workforce Strategy
Jon Pett, who previously had roles in Table Tennis England, British Cycling and Pentathlon GB, will join the HIPB in May. He will become the Programme Director and manage the implementation of HIPB’s three-year workforce strategy.
As Programme Director, he will oversee various new projects and monitor current ones. Some of the initiatives that should be launched under his watch include improvements to employment standards and mental health awareness, and extended vocational training.
