Minister for Racing Anthony Carbines has visited Ballarat Turf Club to announce a $3.1 million investment from the Andrews Labor Government to deliver 200 jobs in the racing sector through Jobs Victoria.
The jobs include roles in stables and grounds and facilities management and a pathway to getting the accreditations needed to become a track rider. Interested jobseekers don’t require any experience as all new recruits will receive paid training including participating in Racing Victoria’s Stable Start Program.
“We’re backing a strong racing industry and this program is a fantastic boost, investing in local jobs to ensure the industry can continue to thrive,” Carbines said.
Jobs Victoria is partnering with the Ballarat Turf Club to deliver 100 roles at Ballarat-based stables, and with Skillinvest to deliver a further 100 roles across regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne.
“This initiative will deliver 100 jobs in the racing industry right here in Ballarat – showcasing the opportunities there are for locals to get started in a new career in racing,” Member for Ripon, Martha Haylett, said.
Roles are open to people who face barriers to employment such as people with disability, young people under 25 and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Nyandeng Sallivanmusyoka completed her initial training with Racing Victoria and is now working as a stablehand at Ballarat’s Cumani Racing.
The mother of four arrived in Australia from Ethiopia in 2006 and had been struggling to find a job after being out of the workforce raising her children. She now enjoys her new role.
The ‘earn and learn’ jobs will provide participants with 12 months’ employment and access to additional support to set them up for long-term careers in the industry. Additional training options include a certificate-level qualification in Racing (Stablehand) or Racing (Trackwork Rider).
Labor MPs attended a Ballarat greyhound racing club to announce $1.6m of funding to “set a new standard for greyhound care” the day after a young dog died there.
At Ballarat Greyhound Racing Club minister Carbines, Haylett and Wendouree MP Juliana Addison, along with representatives from Ballarat City Council, announced the construction of a kennel building worth $3.3m, half of which is state-funded.
Greyhound Racing Victoria Chair Peita Duncan said the new Ballarat kennels demonstrated the organisation’s “unwavering commitment to providing the highest standard of facilities at our racetracks, ensuring comfort and safety for all participants, staff, and of course our athletes, the greyhounds”.