Hubby and I were in at TAFE the other day and I grabbed a skills recognition flyer thinking there’d be a blog post in that! 😉

In a country where the idea of having qualified staff is growing, Skills Recognition has been introduced into Australia.  So what is skills recognition? It’s a process that Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) use to assess someone’s skill level and what qualifications they might be eligible for.

An example: let’s say I’ve been working in the Thoroughbred stud industry for a few years.  It could perhaps be assumed that I’d gained experience in:

• mares giving birth
• assisting with live covers
• weaning of foals
• weanling and yearling sales preparation
• feeding horses
• general horse care
• basic stable duties

The experience that I acquired over these years may be enough to earn me part or all of a Certificate III in Agriculture (Horse Breeding). This could be a great thing!

If I can prove my skills to the Registered Training Organisation, I may be able to gain a qualification without having to actually attend a full time course.  Because qualification demands are increasing in the horse industry but many can’t afford to leave their job to gain one, skills recognition can be a great way to go.

Perhaps you’re an employer and you want to show your clients that you have knowledgeable, qualified staff.  Skills recognition may be worth discussing with them!

Want to find out more?  Check out an older post of mine, Turning Skills into a Qualification or contact your local TAFE facility to see if they can offer you recognition in an area of interest.

“Dressage riding comprises many skills, several of which are acquired by jumping and riding cross-country, or on trails.” – Charles de Kunffy

Hi guys!

I’ve received a few comments on my blog of late and an email from a gentleman who writes a website and blog based around farriery.  That is:

• what the job entails
• how to get qualified and if it’s necessary in certain countries
• where to get qualified
• an employment guide
• interviews
• other interesting facts and images

So if you’re interested in the idea of pursuing farriery or know someone who may be, why not point them towards The Farrier Guide to Education and Employment!

“All I need to know in life I learned from my horse – New shoes are an absolute necessity every 6 weeks.”

Ok guys, I know this has been a long ongoing goal, but next year I truly plan to get my book published!  For those who are keen to read a little intro, you can check it out on my blog.  You can also find ongoing updated chapters available at http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2603378/1/Studs.

I’ve recently finished Playing the Jack by Mary Brown which I’ll put a review of on Suite101.com once they’re out of read only mode!  This novel is close to 700 pages, something I was fearful my story might come close to!  I’ve concluded if I plan to self publish then it’s not such a big deal 🙂

So here’s what I’m going to do:

• Finish my novel in 2013
• Get it published and have it available for sale via my blog
• Offer hard copies for sale or eBook copies at a cheaper rate

For those that love reading horse books, perhaps you can add this one to your list to read in the future? 🙂  It’s a realistic look at the world of breeding horses and working in a riding school based on experiences in the industry and things I’ve learnt whilst working with horses.

“The history of mankind is carried on the back of the horse.”

I genuinely believe that those who are busy get more done!  At the moment I have plenty of time on my hands but feel that I get so little done!

I do have to take things easy because I’m in recovery mode but as I am improving daily, I keep thinking of more I want to do and more that I can do to take advantage of this time at home. But alas, the motivation to get more done appears to be a little low.. 😉

I was talking with a mate not too long ago about a working environment and we discussed what encouraged us to want to work.  This lead to future discussion of how we would deal with staff if we were managing.

Personally, I love an environment that’s:

• Educational and challenging
• Relaxed and encouraging
• Busy

For me work is the most fun when the day has flown, I’ve learnt a new skill or two and been encouraged verbally.

This is what I’ll be aiming to offer to any future staff that I may be blessed to employ!  I’ll be looking for those that have a working ethic, too 😉

I believe that keeping workers busy encourages productivity – what do you think?

If they’re aware of what they need to do for the day and have a list of extra tasks to tackle if they get the time, this could encourage those who want to push themselves that little bit more.

“If the horse does not enjoy his work, his rider will have no joy.” – H.H. Isenbart