Career path to equine industry

The only ‘‘blended delivery’’ NCEA Equine course will soon be available to the Waikato region.

Students in the area can complete the National Certificate in Equine level 3 programme by long distance.

Onside Education general manager Jo Means, said they were currently in the initial stages of preparation with five test distance learners.

‘‘Learners will be able to enrol in a programme of study that they can work on at their own pace over 30 weeks, with visits from a tutor for practical assessment, clinics identified as relevant to the programme and theory assessments sent out for selfdirected study,’’ she said.

The fulltime equine programme is run in Taranaki and is the parent programme that this course will run alongside. But because it is being done through distance learning, it will be classified as part-time.

Means said students did not have to own a horse to participate - horses would be available for them to use.

‘‘Learners who don’t have a horse on which to do the practicals, will either have the option to go to the practical site or opt for work experience in the equine industry.’’

The National Certificate in Equine (Care and Handling) teaches the care and handling of horses in different situations, from farriery, tack care, grooming, transporting, stabling, paddock maintenance, nutrition and anatomy.

‘‘It is an entry level qualification into equine employment and can lead to fulltime employment or further study,’’ Means said.

To enrol, learners must be 16 years or older and have left school. If a school student wanted to gain units via the gateway/star system, they could ask their careers advisor who will liaise with Onside Education.