Case for change

The Equine Industry Survey received 546 responses, with the following key findings:

• The skills most in demand are associated with horse safety, animal behaviour and animal welfare.
• A shortage of skilled labour was mentioned in reference to specific occupations, including farriers, track (including exercise) riders, grooms and saddle fitters.
• There were calls for workplace-based training and practical skills, although some scepticism is expressed about its effectiveness given the lack of regulation in these areas of the industry.
• It is difficult to access equine services in regional, rural and remote areas. Many customers feel limited to ‘what they can get’, bemoaning the reliability of, or waiting times for, providers who service broad geographical areas.
• There continues to be specific labour force shortages, especially regarding farriers and track riders. These shortages are sometimes addressed by unqualified service providers, who are of varying quality.
• One key purpose of the survey was to establish the current use of equine dentistry in Australia. Most respondents (95%) to the IRC survey said they engage service providers for equine dental care, indicating widespread knowledge of the importance of horses’ teeth to their overall health and the ongoing demand for services. The majority (53%) selected equine dental technicians as their service provider, while veterinarians were engaged by 23% of respondents. Around 24% arranged for both equine dental technicians and veterinarians to be present.

The Australian Industry Skills Committee (AISC) approved this project, out of the Annual Update IRC Skills Forecast and Proposed Schedule of Work.

Skills Impact and the Animal Care and Management Industry Reference Committee (IRC) will oversee this project, consistent with the 2012 Standards for Training Package Development.

Download Project Proposal (see page 38)

Project Plan

In 2019, Skills Impact undertook a survey to explore the types of horse care services used, who is carrying out this work and how, and the skills and knowledge workers and owners possess and develop. From the 546 responses, it was affirmed that safety, animal behaviour and animal welfare are key skills for this kind of work. However, industry indicated that there could be a better way to incorporate safety and care skills in current qualifications, skills set and units, so that it is consolidated throughout the learning journey as a key element of this work.

The survey also indicated that some skills areas, such as allied health services like nutrition and massage, are not currently defined by nationally endorsed skills standards. There is also a need to consider how to provide better access for people pursuing a career working with horses and support more flexible career pathways along the way. Skills standards and qualifications are required to support school leavers right through to professional occupations and leadership and management roles.

As part of this project, the skills requirements of those who provide horse care services will be considered, so that they can be described in consistent skills standards agreed upon by industry. There are many experts with years of experience in Australia’s horse care industry. If you are experienced and knowledgeable about the care of horses, this is your chance to support future industry leaders, by defining the essential and necessary skills for various jobs in the horse care industry.

Project Scope

This project will review Certificate II in Horse Care, Certificate III in Performance Horse, Certificate IV in Equine Dentistry and Diploma of Performance Horse Management and relevant units.

The Certificate III in Equine Hoof Care will also be updated as it contains some of the units that will be reviewed. However, the qualification itself is not being reviewed at this time.

Opportunities for stakeholder input

Stakeholder input is appreciated throughout the duration of this project. The documents will be drafted in consultation with Subject Matter Experts and their networks. Opportunities to provide targeted feedback will occur when the draft materials are made available in February 2021, and again for validation of final drafts in May 2021. However, your feedback is welcomed at any time, and will help us in drafting the qualifications, skill set and units. It is important that training provides a skilled and flexible workforce for the future. The qualifications, skill sets and units need to reflect real work experience. So if you work in the sector, Skills Impact welcomes your input and help. Please feel free to register your interest for project updates and consultation opportunities by following the newsletter subscription link below. Alternatively, please feel free to contact the project manager, Lucinda O’Brien on 03 9321 3526 or [email protected].

Stakeholder Consultation Process

A list of key stakeholder organisations has been identified for this project. Skills Impact will ensure contact is made with each of these organisations during the development of this project to seek their involvement and their views on the draft qualifications, skill sets and units.

If you are aware of an organisation that you think should be involved, please contact the project team to ensure they are contacted by us.

Of course, all and any interested industry participants are encouraged to engage in the consultation of this project, when the draft qualifications, skill sets and units are available for feedback via this webpage and workshops that take place around Australia. Consultation is not limited to the organisations on this list. This list simply helps us to identify those organisations that, because of their industry role, size or specialty, are likely to have a key interest in the development and outcomes of this project.

Development

Work has commenced to review and redevelop the existing qualifications and units of competency for horse care, performance horse and equine services (dentistry, saddle and equipment fitting, body work and early education). During November 2020, Skills Impact is meeting with Subject Matter Experts from these industry sectors from across Australia to undertake a workforce functional analysis to identify current job roles and work functions and any gaps in the skills standards.

Consultation Workshops – Registrations Open!

A number of consultation webinars have been scheduled to give stakeholders an opportunity to discuss the draft skills standards with the Skills Impact team. At these sessions, the team will provide background on the project and its objectives and present draft documents to discuss whether the proposed changes meet the needs of industry. You will also be walked through how to use the Skills Impact Online Feedback Hub to provide feedback on the drafts. Draft documents and supporting documentation will be available on the Skills Impact website from mid February to mid March 2020.

Registrations for consultation workshops are now open. Please register by clicking the corresponding link.

Certificate II & III Webinars

These webinars will focus on addressing the skills and knowledge required for work activities undertaken by horse carer and handler roles (such as stable work, grooming, exercising and equine hoof care).

Wednesday 17 February, 10am to 12pm AEDT – register here

Thursday 18 February, 1pm to 3pm AEDT – register here

Friday 19 February, 10am to 12pm AEDT – register here

Tuesday 23 February, 10am to 12pm AEDT – register here

Certificate IV & Diploma Webinars

These webinars will focus on addressing the skills and knowledge required for work activities undertaken by equine service providers (dentistry, saddle and equipment fitting, body work and early education) and equine establishment or team managers.

Wednesday 17 February, 1pm to 3pm AEDT – register here

Thursday 18 February, 10am to 12pm AEDT – register here

Friday 19 February, 1pm to 3pm AEDT – register here

Monday 22 February, 10am to 12pm AEDT – register here

Training Delivery Webinars

Webinar are also being held specifically for stakeholders interested in discussing training delivery and assessment of the draft skills standards.

Certificate II and III – Monday 22 February, 1pm to 3pm AEDT – register here

Certificate IV & Diploma – Tuesday 23 February, 1pm to 3pm AEDT – register here

Drafts Available

Drafts Available 13 May – 10 June 2021

Feedback was sought on changes to the documents, including:

• Changes to qualifications:
  • Creation of Diploma of Equine Allied Health as industry feedback indicated that these skills required expertise at a diploma level.
  • Updates to the Certificate IV in Equine Care to remove dentistry and massage job roles which are now included in the Diploma of Equine Allied Health.
  • Updates to the Certificate II and III in Horse Care and Certificate III in Equine Hoof Care to reflect changes to the unit ACMEQU2X12 Handle horses safely.
• Creation of Transport Horses by Road Skill Set to capture the skills required for this specific job task. This skill set is designed for people who may not usually work with horses, but who need to load and unload them, ie: those working in transport or emergency services.
• Separation of Element 4, ‘load and unload horses’, from ACMEQU2X12 Handle horses safely into its own unit. Feedback indicated that handling horses safely was an essential skill required before learning how to load and unload horses. It was also indicated that loading and unloading is a distinct skill and is needed only in some job roles.
• Development of an equine rehabilitation program unit, as there was a skills gap in quality of care and program writing after therapy.
• Creation of a new unit for working safely as an equine contractor, as industry indicated that there was no level 5 unit available for working independently in the industry, despite the high number of contractors involved in caring for horses and the need for skills in safety and biosecurity.
• Updates to one unit for horse clipping services so that it meets industry needs.
• Assessor requirements for riding units updated.
• Some units recoded to level 5 to reflect their placement in the Diploma of Equine Allied Health.
• Updates made to the Companion Volume User Guides (Safety in Equine Training & Equine Allied Heath) to align with the updated information in the units, and to reflect new practices and techniques.

Please click here to download the Summary of Feedback, Responses and Actions document, which provides a rundown of comments made about these components and how these informed the proposed changes.

Drafts Available 16 February – 16 March 2021

The draft qualifications, skill sets and units were reviewed and updated to strengthen safety and welfare, remove duplication and incorporate current skills and knowledge required by industry.

Feedback was invited on whether the draft qualifications, skill sets and units reflect the current skills standards and practices of industry, and whether job functions are accurately described. In particular feedback was sought on the preferred terminology between equine and horse within the units, skill sets and qualifications. At present, equine is used to describe different education methodologies (behaviour, cognition, learning theory etc). Horse is used when describing application of the education methodologies to individual horse. For more information on the proposed changes, please download the Summary of Technical Changes.

Many of the qualifications, skill sets and units within this project have had low enrolments in recent years and have been flagged for deletion from the national register. A survey conducted in 2019 provided some insights into why these skills standards have not been used and how they could be improved. Of the 546 people that responded, there was a clear indication that there could be a better way to incorporate safety and care skills in current qualifications, skills set and units, so that it is consolidated throughout the learning journey as a key element of this work. Those surveyed included horse care workers and those that use their services. The survey also indicated that some skills areas are not currently defined by nationally endorsed skills standards and that a redesign of current skills standards could provide better access and support more flexible career pathways.

The Industry Reference Committee and Subject Matter Expert Working Group have considered this feedback and support the need for national skills standards and training for the majority of these skills, especially in relation to safety, animal behaviour and animal welfare. Therefore the qualifications, skill sets and units were revised to encourage further training. Six units were identified as not required by industry and were proposed for deletion. One qualification, the Diploma of Performance Horse Management, was identified as describing skills that are out of date and in need of revision. It was revised to incorporate the management skills required across numerous equine establishments so it could be used more broadly by industry, and has been retitled to the Diploma of Equine Management.

Qualifications & Skill Sets

For more information on the proposed changes, please download the Summary of Technical Changes

Units of Competency

For more information on the proposed changes, please download the Summary of Technical Changes

Summary of Consultation to Date

The draft qualifications, skill sets and units have been drafted in consultation with Subject Matter Experts. They have considered feedback that was received out of Workforce Functional Analysis workshops from October 2020 through to January 2021. People working directly across the horse industry participated and provided information on the skills and knowledge required for job roles and tasks. Thank you to those who provided feedback during these meetings.

Feedback on the draft qualifications, skill sets and units of competency was then invited from the broader industry and the drafts were available on this webpage for feedback between 16 February and 16 March 2021. Feedback highlighted the need to make further changes to some of the qualifications, skill sets and units. As a result, the qualifications, a skill set and some units were made available for an additional round of feedback from 13 May – 10 June 2021. During these times, feedback was collected through the online feedback hub, consultation webinars and email. The drafts, including any comments made on the feedback hub, are available to view above.

All feedback is being considered by the Subject Matter Expert Working Group and where appropriate the Animal Care and Management Industry Reference Committee. Feedback will inform further work on the final drafts, which are expected to be available for industry comment and validation in late June 2021. A summary of the feedback and how it was addressed in the final drafts will also be available.

Consultation webinars

A number of consultation webinars were held to give stakeholders an opportunity to discuss the draft skills standards with the Skills Impact team. At these sessions, the team provided background on the project and its objectives and presented draft documents to discuss whether the proposed changes meet the needs of industry. They also walked through how to use the Skills Impact online Feedback Hub to provide feedback on the drafts. Webinars to discuss training delivery of the qualifications were also held, covering the same content, but with time allocated to discussions around delivery. Below are recordings of three of the webinars for anyone who was unable to attend. Please note the recording has been edited to remove comments by participants, to support their privacy.

Validation

Equine Dentistry and Massage

The following drafts were available for validation and comment between 13 and 27 July 2021. Thank you to those who provided feedback on these final drafts. You can still view the documents and any comments made below.

Summary of feedback and key changes

The draft Diploma of Equine Allied Health attracted a lot of feedback that has required additional work to distil and consider. The following issues were raised as part of the ‘Drafts Available stage’ in May and June 2021. This feedback was considered by subject matter experts and through discussions with the Animal Care and Management IRC to revise the final drafts.

Diploma of Equine Allied Health

Questions were raised as to whether the training should be at a diploma level. Analysis has demonstrated that the volume and content of learning has increased for equine dental technicians to address the expanding knowledge of animal welfare considerations. It appears to be appropriate that any other allied health occupations should have starting points at the same level, given the importance of critical welfare considerations.

Knowledge of sedation in equine dentistry

Questions were raised as to whether the level of knowledge related to sedation is necessary given that equine dental technicians are not required to administer sedation. Further consideration has resulted in a recommendation that knowledge of sedation at the described level is important to ensure the avoidance of detrimental animal welfare impacts.

Questions were raised as to whether there should be room to include administration of sedation now or in the future in the qualification. This idea has been rejected and the view remains that such training is outside the scope of this project and would need to be provided by veterinarians outside of the VET system. This is a serious issue that should be left fully in the hands of the relevant veterinary authorities and professional member bodies, and not decided as part of a project within VET.

Use of technology in equine dentistry – motorised tools, power tools, mechanical floating

Feedback received indicated opposition from some veterinarians and other contributors as to the inclusion of these skills, while other veterinarians and contributors provided support for inclusion. The drafts for validation include training in the use of modern technology in the application of specific activities that fall within the scope of an equine dental technician. Defining the current position of use of technology is difficult in most occupations, especially health-related occupations where surgical procedures are now being carried out with the use of automation. International trends indicate a shift towards the use of technology by equine dental technicians and evidence is that this is happening already in Australia.

Further feedback will be considered, particularly feedback which distinguishes specific procedures that could or could not be carried out by equine dental technicians using technology. This is already incorporated into the draft for validation of ACMEQD5X3 Perform equine dental treatment and oral care using appropriate instrumentation.

Other feedback received

Feedback was received questioning whether there is sufficient demand for the equine dentistry element of the qualification, given low enrolment numbers in the current qualification and the increase in veterinary science graduates. This has previously been considered and research was undertaken. One of the drivers of this project was information that the current qualification was not attracting enrolments due to lack of appropriate content and the competition from international offerings. As part of normal procedures for all updated training products, Skills Impact is seeking evidence related to potential enrolments for the qualification.

Feedback was received from veterinarians regarding the potential regulation of equine allied health occupations. This is not within the authority of the IRC and training cannot be mandated through the VET system. Regulated or protected occupations can only be established through legislative or regulatory processes. The establishment of appropriate levels of formally recognised qualifications is often an important consideration when examining potential for future regulation or protection.

Feedback that has been received that is not directly relevant to the content and standards of the qualification has been reviewed, and no action can be taken on this feedback by the IRC, Skills Impact or the subject matter expert working group.

A number of members of Equine Veterinarians Australia have participated in the process, with some providing a pro forma response. The association has also presented feedback on behalf of its members. A response has been sent to the EVA and this response can be reviewed here.

A description of how feedback has been considered and applied in these final drafts can be downloaded by clicking on the following button.

Horse Care Qualifications & Skills Standards

The following drafts were available for validation and comment between 22 June and 6 July 2021. Thank you to those who provided feedback on these final drafts. You can still view the documents and any comments made below.

Summary of feedback and key changes

The final drafts incorporated feedback that was received on the initial drafts that were made available between 16 February and 16 March, and from 13 May to 10 June 2021, under the ‘Drafts Available’ stage. During this time, feedback was collected through the online feedback hub, national webinars, by phone call and email. This feedback was considered by subject matter experts and through discussions with the Animal Care and Management IRC to revise the final drafts. Key changes to the documents included:

• Five qualifications were revised with:
  • Updates to the Certificate IV in Equine Care to remove dentistry and massage job roles
  • Updates to the Certificate II and III in Horse Care and Certificate III in Equine Hoof Care to reflect changes to units
  • Entry requirements updated for the Diploma of Equine Management and Certificate IV in Equine Care.
• Three skill sets were reviewed and three developed, to support safety skills across a range of job tasks as well as skills in specific areas such as transporting horses, coordinating horse care tasks and workers in an equine workplace.
• Forty-five units were revised, including merging 20 units into 13, and updates to:
  • strengthen safety standards throughout
  • remove duplication within the documents
  • reorder content within the documents for clarity
  • update terminology
  • revise and improve flexibility of delivery
  • update language to better reflect Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) alignment
  • include skills for referring to other professionals where work is outside scope
  • update performance evidence volume and frequency to better reflect industry requirements.
• Six units were developed to address skills needs for specific expertise needed across the horse care sector.
• Six units were proposed for deletion as they have no enrolments or are no longer required by industry.

A description of how feedback has been considered and applied in these final drafts can be downloaded by clicking on the following button.

Units of Competency