YOUNG students from Curragh Community College got special behind-the-scenes access at the Curragh racecourse recently to mark their long-term participation and continuation of the ‘World of Work’ programme.

World of Work is an employee volunteering programme for education, coordinated by Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI), which aims to develop partnerships between schools and businesses in Ireland in support of educational progression and inclusion. The programme merges with the Junior Cycle curriculum and covers topics such as communication skills, career planning and sustainability.

Some 48 students from Curragh Community College got to meet with the Curragh racecourse team and learn about their roles and responsibilities, such as racecourse management, marketing, sales and event management.

Horse Racing Ireland has partnered with Curragh Community College since 2008 on skills at work, student mentoring and World of Work programmes.

Carol Nolan, director of people and equuip at HRI, commented: “We have a long-standing involvement in Business in the Community mentoring programmes and are delighted to launch another year of partnership with Curragh Community College in the World of Work programme, which gives students an insight into the many roles in the workplace and inspires and encourages young minds to look towards the future.

“Connecting with our local communities is extremely important to us as an organisation and I would like to thank our many HRI employees who voluntarily give of their time to these programmes.”

Paul Keane, sales manager at the Curragh, said: “We were delighted to host HRI’s World of Work programme with Curragh Community College and give the students an understanding of the variety of roles that it takes to manage a racemeeting at the Curragh, Ireland’s premier flat racecourse. There is a rich tradition of horse racing and breeding in Kildare with many employment opportunities for young people and we are delighted to play our part in helping the students understand a little more about our vibrant industry.”