The United Kingdom Horse Shoers Union

The voice of the farrier.

       Lantra seeks farriers views on the future of the industry.

Lantra seeks input from employers

Lantra, the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the Environmental and Land-based Sector, has appointed
Clare Johnson as its first Industry Partnership Manager for Farriery. SSCs are independent
organisations tasked with tackling the skills and productivity needs of their sector throughout the UK.
Lantra represents 1.5 million people and 400,000 businesses in agriculture, animal care, conservation,
equine, farriery, floristry, game conservation, land-based engineering, landscaping, horticulture, trees
and veterinary nursing.

Clare is developing an action plan for farriery that focuses on identifying and developing solutions to
its training and business development needs. “One of Lantra’s main aims is to identify and fill skills
gaps.” says Clare. “My job involves working with and listening to the needs of employers and other
representatives to do just that. It is therefore critical that employers from the profession get in touch
and help us develop an action plan for addressing those needs. We recognise that employers are
experts in their own field who know first hand the requirements of their profession, so we are keen to
listen. This is your chance as an employer to take the lead and tell government what action needs to be
taken.”

UKHSU are keen to put forward your views, so please let us know and we will pass them on. 
Discuss it on the message boards.
This is the Action Plan:

Lantra Farriery Action Plan (Draft)

Issues and targets:

1) Improving the quality of applicants for the Farriery Modern Apprenticeship

In order to maintain standards within Farriery, it is important that the profession is able to attract an
‘appropriate’ calibre of apprentice onto the Modern Apprenticeship (MA) training scheme. To this
end, work needs to be undertaken this year to review the entry requirements for the MA to ensure that
appropriate applicants can be considered from both academic and vocational backgrounds.

In addition to attracting appropriate new recruits, it is also important to develop those individuals,
once qualified, within the profession. To facilitate this, careers information will be produced this year
which defines opportunities for recruitment and progression. This information will be a valuable
source of advice to potential recruits, existing employees and employers and will be distributed to
these groups at trade events, careers event etc. on an ongoing basis.

2) To improve the implementation of the Farriery MA.

The funding restrictions for apprentices over 25 years and the formal Key Skills (ie Communication
and Application of Number) examinations are creating unacceptable barriers to the access and
achievement of the Farriery MA. This year therefore, Lantra will lobby on behalf of the profession for
the removal of the funding restrictions and the removal of the formal Key Skills examinations.

3) To support Approved Training Farriers providing training for Farriery apprentices

The role the Approved Training Farrier (ATF) is critical to an apprentice Farrier’s achievement of the
MA. Therefore in order to ensure the success of the Farriery MA it is important to understand the
needs and requirements of ATFs.

This year research will be undertaken to review the support provided for and required by the ATFs, so
that the level of support available can be improved.

4) To support colleges providing training for Farriery apprentices

The colleges providing training for apprentices are also integral to the success of the Farriery MA and
for this reason research will also be undertaken this year to improve the level of support available to
the colleges.

5) To extend the applicability of the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 throughout the UK.

Currently, the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 does not apply to Northern Ireland, the Highlands and
Islands of Scotland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. This means that Farriers operating in these
areas do not have to meet the same standards, in terms of qualifications, as Farriers practising in the
rest of the UK. This year, research will be undertaken to establish whether there is this is a cause for
concern with regards to animal welfare and as a consequence whether there is support from the equine
welfare organisations for the extension of the Act, so that it covers the whole of the UK. If there is
found to be support for extending the Act, the Farriers Registration Council, on behalf of the
profession, will approach the necessary legislative organisations with a view to requesting an
extension.

6) To improve and widen the skill levels of Farriers.

Registered Farriers are currently provided with access to training, however, there is a need for these
opportunities to be increased so that the profession is able to retain and develop its skill level. This
year work will begin on investigating the skills requirements of the Registered Farrier. This research
will facilitate future development work to provide more opportunities for skills development.

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Read it on the web at   http://www.lantra.co.uk/APList.asp