Call for applications for latest Fast Track intake – a path for the industry’s future leaders
Kitchwin Hills’ Mick Malone believes graduates of the Australian thoroughbred breeding’s Fast Track program have proven so successful that many of the trainees over the past four years will become leaders of the industry.
As Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, the organisation behind the traineeship, calls for applications for the 2022 Fast Track program, Malone cited the rapid impact first-year graduate Alyssa Pickels has made at Kitchwin Hills.
“I can only speak on behalf of Kitchwin, but we’ve had four graduates now and all four have been really, really good. Fast Track educators interview them in a way that anyone who is umming and ahhing about getting up early and working a lot of hours don’t take it on,” Malone said.
“They turn up with a respect and a love for the horses and they really want to hook in, which is great. We had one girl who came from central Queensland, Alysha Pickels, and she’s been phenomenal.”
Pickels subsequently completed the renowned Irish National Stud course before returning to Kitchwin.
“Honestly, Alyssa will end up managing a farm, she’s just that good. She’s been to Ireland and back and she’s going to go to America next year and studs encourage travelling because they learn so much overseas but they keep coming back and contributing to your brand,” Malone said.
Developed by TBA in response to the industry staffing shortage, the year-long Fast Track program provides a pathway for people outside the breeding and racing industries to gain the skills that allow them to become valuable contributors to the sector’s workforce.
“The program has proved its success with 90 per cent of graduates still working in the industry, so it’s exciting to start the process of finding our next recruits,” TBA chief executive Tom Reilly said.
“Fast Track is designed to give the trainees a great education and provide them with the foundational skills and knowledge needed to build successful careers in the industry.”
Importantly, Fast Track graduates enjoy on-the-job training with leading Australian stud farms while studying for a Certificate III in Horse Breeding, a nationally–recognised formal qualification.
To complement the on-the-job learning, students attend two intensive learning blocks in Scone (six weeks in total), where they receive a mix of practical training and classroom theory, as well as taking part in a variety of field trips and personal development workshops.
Malone is a big advocate of the Fast Track program and the quality of the graduates it has produced.
“There’s so much opportunity in our industry. It is so often overlooked by young people when they’re looking for a career but it’s certainly one they should look at, particularly if they’ve got work ethic and they’re prepared to do the hard yards,” Malone said.
“Seeing a horse foaling down and taking it right through to selling them as yearlings for north of $300,000, $400,000, up to $1.5 million. Honestly, I know how rewarding it is for me and for the young guys who work for us, especially the guys who have come through this Fast Track program. I just see how much they enjoy it.
“Not only that, there’s a lot of young people in the industry, they meet a lot of people of their same age with the same interests and there are enormous opportunities to work around the world in the thoroughbred industry.”
Fast Track is open to anyone in Australia who is 18 years and over and previous graduates have come from far and wide, including Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales.
Southern NSW stud Twins Hills has taken on trainees in each of the past three intakes and owner Olly Tait believes Fast Track is a fantastic industry initiative.
“People are at the core of the horse business and the more good people we can attract into the industry the better,” Tait said.
“We have been involved with Fast Track for a number of years and we have been very impressed with the quality of the people who are taking part in the program.”
After finishing Fast Track, students are eligible to apply for the Basil Nolan Jnr scholarship, which sees TBA fund one student per year to complete the prestigious Irish National Stud Breeding Course. Two Fast Track graduates have completed their studies in Ireland – both gaining distinctions – while a third has just begun her studies in Kildare.
Sam Hayes, of Cornerstone Stud in South Australia, took on his first trainee last year and can’t wait to welcome another Fast Track graduate.
“Giving young people a pathway to enter our industry has never been more important over the past couple of years. We have had a great experience with Fast Track this season and look forward to welcoming more students to the farm in the future,” Hayes said.
Applicants are preferred to have basic horse handling skills but prior experience with thoroughbreds isn’t necessary.
Trainees have enjoyed placements on farms in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland and with planning underway for the biggest intake yet, TBA are calling for farms from all states to get in contact if they are interested in taking on a trainee.
“Our aim is to bring in people who have horse experience but little exposure to thoroughbreds. However, in each year so far we have taken on somebody with no hands on horse experience but who has shown a real interest in our industry. Perhaps surprisingly, those trainees have done really well,” Reilly said.
“If any farm is interested in taking a trainee they should reach out to TBA to find out what’s involved.”
Applications for the 2022 Fast Track program close on February 28. To find out more information, visit tbaus.com or email careers@tbaus.com.