Cover image courtesy of Silverdale Farm
In the last handful of years, education has been a hot topic across the racing and breeding industries. Global programs like Godolphin Flying Start and the Irish National Stud course, as well as courses offered through Thoroughbred Industry Careers (TIC) and Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, have been valuable go-to platforms in Australia.
This week, TAFE NSW announced a significant new partnership with Steve Grant’s Silverdale Farm in the Southern Highlands, targeting high school students with an interest in horse-related careers.
The Silverdale Farm Intern Program 2021, the first of its kind in the region, will offer six school leavers a fee-free, five-day working experience at Silverdale Farm, where each will sample all aspects of the breeding business, from agistment and spelling to yearling preparation, foaling and horse health and behaviour.
Linda Molloy | Image courtesy of TAFE NSW
Linda Molloy is one of TAFE NSW’s equine teachers and, alongside Steve Grant, she has been instrumental in the execution of the new program.
“From a TAFE perspective, we’re all about skills and skills training,” Molloy told TDN AusNZ. “We want to always ensure that what we’re providing in training will lead into employment, which in turn leads into careers. In that respect, this program is a great partnership with Silverdale Farm, and it’s a great opportunity for school leavers.”
The Silverdale Farm Intern Program will begin next month, with Grant and his team providing an exhaustive, on-farm experience to the first set of five students.
“We (TAFE NSW) want to always ensure that what we’re providing in training will lead into employment, which in turn leads into careers." - Linda Molloy
It’s just days since the Program was announced across the Southern Highlands, but already Molloy has filled the first group, and expressions of interest have been so strong that she anticipates a second class before the year is up.
Applications have come from a wide spread of young people over the age of 15, some equestrians, others pony clubbers and a number with family interests in horse racing. One application arrived from a before-school track rider.
“We get enough information during the expressions of interest that we can assess backgrounds,” Molloy said. “The selection process will happen after November 8, and that will involve myself plus Steve and the stud guys. I’ve had schools contacting me since we launched the campaign this week, and the response has been just amazing.”
Targeting school leavers
The point of difference with the Silverdale Farm Intern Program is its target audience, which is school students aged 15 years or older across Years 11 and 12.
Molloy said these are formative years that can carve careers, which is what sets this program apart from most others in existence across Australian breeding.
“That age, from 15 to 18, can really help to shape you, and that’s the beauty of what Steve has put forward here,” Molloy said. “I look back at my childhood, and I was fortunate to grow up around horses, but even so, there was an aspect to the industry where you would have loved to have gone and had a look at it, or had a bit of a go at it.”
Learning how to remove a shoe | Image courtesy of TAFE NSW
The Program falls into the catchment of the TAFE NSW Moss Vale campus, and it’s under the Agribusiness umbrella that covers animal care, equine, horticulture and land conservation.
It’s regionally specific, based at Silverdale Farm for the internship, but Molloy is taking applications from well outside the Southern Highlands catchment, with both her and Grant seeing the internship as a state-wide, even nation-wide, program in the long run.
“Originally, when Steve approached us about this course, we had initial discussions that focused on staying local,” Molloy said. “But since our press release went out this week, it’s just become massive and we’ve had interest from all over the state.”
"Since our press release went out this week, it’s (the internship) just become massive and we’ve had interest from all over the state.” - Linda Molloy
Molloy said that TAFE would provide the learning behind Silverdale’s farm practices, which students would witness and get among during their five days at the property. Much of the Program’s content would be dependent on what time of the year students were placed, so that experiences will range from foaling down in the spring to yearling preparation in the autumn.
Grassroots learning
Industry education has long been a passion for Silverdale owner, Steve Grant. He’s a connected, far-sighted industry participant with the means to make his farm a school of learning.
Grant served as Director of the Australian Turf Club (ATC) from 2014 to 2016, and he was a long-term member of Sydney’s respective racing clubs before the formation of the ATC.
Steve Grant | Image courtesy of Silverdale Farm
Silverdale is a relatively new farm in the grand scheme of Grant’s 40 years in bloodstock. He’s had the property for over a decade, but only in the last two years has it housed his own horses on its rich 230 acres, just north of Fitzroy Falls.
Nevertheless, in a short space of time its facilities and bloodstock have made it a preeminent fixture on the breeding scene, and it’s perfectly placed as one of the prettiest outdoor classrooms in the district.
“The main thing we’re trying to show school leavers is that we’ve got jobs in this industry,” Grant said. “And the industry stretches so wide, whether you’re a strapper or trainer, or presenting horses on a stud. You might end up in the media or a track rider, or you could even be a gardener at Rosehill. There are thousands of alternatives for people in this industry.”
“The main thing we’re trying to show school leavers is that we’ve got jobs in this industry." - Steve Grant
Grant said he wasn’t noticing much effort being directed at school-age students, which is where the impetus for this program began.
“I haven’t seen a lot of people starting at the grassroots, at the schools educating the children on what’s out there in racing and breeding,” he said. “While the Flying Start courses and such are brilliant, they’re educating people that already know about the industry. I’m trying to tell kids about the industry from day one, so it’s a much earlier starting process.”
Grant said the internship wouldn’t change the employment pool overnight, but he’s hoping that in five years it will have made a difference. He has plans for the Program to become bigger than Silverdale Farm too.
"I’m trying to tell kids about the industry from day one, so it’s a much earlier starting process.” - Steve Grant
“This pilot program will begin in late November, and once that’s up and running with all the systems in place, I’d like to expand it a bit more through next year,” Grant said. “At the moment, we’re bearing the cost to pay TAFE to do the training, and so too all the facilities we’re building here for them, so at some point we’ll look for sponsorship for the Program.”
Grant is keen for the wider industry to get involved too.
“Eventually, I’d like to hand this out to other studs free of charge,” he said.
Students during a body work session | Image courtesy of TAFE NSW
Paying it forward
Grant’s attitude toward the whole project is centred around paying it forward. He’s been a successful businessman for a long time, and stiffly believes in sharing opportunities.
Silverdale Farm has been a sponsor of TIC and, earlier this year, it was announced as a host farm for TAFE NSW’s Agribusiness and Equine Industry Development program. The latter has seen TAFE students of all ages come through Silverdale for periods of time while qualifying in tailored short courses like foaling down and yearling preparation.
The uniqueness of the Silverdale Farm Intern Program, however, is its age group, and Grant is across all its facets. He’s working on accommodation options for kids coming from outside the district, and he’s had meetings with the local careers advisors.
“We got a great reception from them,” Grant said. “The Moss Vale High advisor was very excited about it, and he said we’d have enough to fill two classes just from his school. With that everyone else piped up, so I don’t think there’s going to be any shortage of interest.”
This surge in interest very quickly is why Grant is looking to pass the Program along to other studs, not only his neighbours in the Southern Highlands, but also across New South Wales.
“I’ll get a cheat sheet for them and show them how it can be done,” Grant said. “And there is plenty of room for ideas. Right now we’re working on getting the kids to a race track for a day, and I’d be really keen to get them to a sales company as well. These are the sorts of ideas that I’m really keen on once we get the pilot underway.”
“I’ll get a cheat sheet for them and show them how it can be done.” - Steve Grant
This surge in interest very quickly is why Grant is looking to pass the Program along to other studs, not only his neighbours in the Southern Highlands but also across New South Wales.
Interested applicants for the Silverdale Farm Intern Program can contact TAFE NSW on 131 601 for more information, or visit www.tafensw.edu.au
