British Dressage recognised a need to diversify its workforce to better represent the profile of the sport. This was particularly evident in coaching and judging roles, where the workforce did not fully reflect the demographic profile of the sport's participants. Additionally, the organisation identified a deficiency in leadership and management skills among its professional staff. To address these challenges, we worked with British Dressage to implement a targeted training initiative to upskill its workforce and create a more inclusive and effective environment.
As an Olympic and Paralympic sport, British Dressage sought to establish a clear and accessible pathway for individuals to progress within the sport. this included opportunities to become riders, coaches, judges, or pursue other related roles. To meet this need, we worked with British Dressage to develop a structured training programme focused on non-accredited qualifications that could be recognised as prior learning for formal qualifications.
Our initial cohort consisted of 40 Judge tutors, many of whom were also coach tutors. A large number of these individuals successfully transitioned their learning into formal qualifications by delivering tutoring and assessing practice, achieving the 1st4sport level 3 in Tutoring and Assessing.
We extended this approach to the delivery of Internal Quality Assurance and Mentoring, providing additional opportunities for professional development. British Dressage will now establish these qualifications as the standard for delivering Coach and Judge Education and Quality Assurance.
Charlotte Osborne, British Dressage
As our partnership with British Dressage progressed, we collectively recognised that the existing pathway had originally been led with funding in mind, as opposed to what was the best pathway for the riders or workforce. In developing a holistic workforce pathway, we identified in partnership with British Dressage how to support and train people through the use of Apprenticeships and internal funding. This revised pathway now enables people from a broad background to progress through employment and training to reach their aspirations.
British Dressage’s undertook a comprehensive review of their workforce development programmes, gaining feedback from all stakeholders involved. We took this information and facilitated sessions with key decision makers exploring what opportunities were available and how a blend of funded and non-funded provisions could work to build an effective workforce development pathway suitable for all.
British Dressage has streamlined its workforce development programmes, focusing on a more inclusive approach that includes apprenticeships from Level 2 to Level 5. This new model combines funded training with British Dressage qualifications, mentoring, and coaching to provide a broad pathway for professional development.
This expanded scope of training now includes areas such as Equine Groom, Marketing, and Business Management, ensuring that individuals in all roles within the industry have access to relevant skills development opportunities. This inclusive approach will contribute to creating and retaining a workforce that is well-prepared to meet the future needs of the Dressage industry.
