BHA launches fifth Workforce Survey

British racing’s workforce will shortly be invited to complete a survey to share their views and experiences of working in the industry and support ongoing improvements.

The survey is designed to enhance understanding of British racing’s workforce by gathering insights from trainers, racing staff, breeding employers and breeding staff.

This will be the fifth iteration of the Workforce Survey, which is commissioned by the BHA’s Industry People Team and funded by the Racing Foundation.

People from each of these groups will be contacted by independent research organisation Public Perspectives in the coming days and weeks and invited to take part.

Responses will be analysed and used to inform how the industry can more effectively support meaningful career progression, address skills gaps, and drive improvements in workplace culture and wellbeing.

Since the last Workforce Survey in 2023, there have been several positive steps made to help ensure that British racing is a happy, safe and fulfilling industry in which to work.

These include the launch of the Workforce Strategy, which provides a shared direction for how the sport addresses workforce challenges and opportunities.

Further progress has been made through initiatives such as the Rider Development Pathway, which offers clearer routes into and through the industry, and the development of a dedicated Diversity and Inclusion Strategy to support a more representative and inclusive workforce.

Care and progression of racing’s workforce is a central pillar of both the overarching industry strategy framework and the industry people strategy.

Jon Pett, Industry People Programme Director, said:

“The feedback received from the 2023 survey directly helped to shape the workforce strategy, ‘Our People, Racing’s Future’, and has helped to build the foundations of a number of initiatives which are designed to positively impact our workforce or those working in support of them.

“Understanding what the workforce needs now, and how those needs are evolving, is critical to ensuring people working in racing can thrive and that the future measures we implement are as effective as possible. Continuing to listen to the views and requirements of employers and employees is central to this.

“For this reason, we would encourage everyone who receives the survey to respond and share their opinions and experiences. Everyone’s feedback is highly valued and will directly inform future steps to enhance the support and training for racing’s workforce.”

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