RGR30518 is the nationally recognised Certificate III in Racing (Trackwork Rider). It prepares you for work as a horse trainer. It has been the current version on the national register since 2018, when it replaced RGR30108. Employers posted about 100 horse trainer jobs in June 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier.
The signals behind the Certificate III in Racing (Trackwork Rider) are mixed, and both sides are worth weighing. Horse trainers are in national shortage and employment is projected to grow through 2035. Enrolments are falling. These are official statistics, not a promise about your result.
Job ads for horse trainers are holding steady. About 100 horse trainer jobs were advertised online in June 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier. Over the last 12 months there were about 1,400 job ads, while 300 people were training in the qualification nationally (2025). Ads show the market. Enrolments show the pipeline. Neither is a job promise.
Australia's official shortage list rates horse trainers as in shortage. The 2025 Occupation Shortage List rates Horse Trainer as in national shortage; Dog Handler or Trainer, Pet Groomer, Zookeeper, Kennel Hand, Track Rider and Animal Attendants and Trainers nec as not in shortage.
Horse trainer jobs are projected to grow. Jobs and Skills Australia projections put these occupations at 26,019 workers in May 2025, 27,347 by May 2030 (up 5.1%) and 28,881 by May 2035 (up 11%).
Fewer people are enrolling in the Certificate III in Racing (Trackwork Rider) than a year ago. Across Australia, 320 people enrolled in 2024. In 2025 it was 300, down 6.3% in a year.
The register and the national framework set some of this. Providers set the rest.
State funding for RGR30518 is being verified against official program lists.
Eligibility and student contributions vary by program and provider. The official state listing is the source of truth. In a subsidised place the government pays most of the tuition and you pay a co-contribution set by the program and provider.
The Certificate III in Racing (Trackwork Rider) is 18 units: 11 core, plus 7 electives chosen from 18 options on the register. Prerequisites apply to Nine of them, marked below.
No Get Course partner currently lists this qualification. Check the national register for organisations approved to deliver it, and remember that approval to deliver is a regulatory fact, not a recommendation. You can browse live courses from our partners and enquire today.
Browse coursesGet Course maps RGR30518 to its occupations using the register’s own outcome wording, shown with ANZSCO codes (here, 3611) so the mapping can be checked. Job advertisement counts come from the Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index and count online ads, not vacancies filled. Enrolment counts come from NCVER Total VET Activity and count people in training, not completions. Funding rows appear only after verification against the official state program list. Source vintages: employment projections May 2025 to May 2035 release; Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index latest month June 2026; NCVER Total VET Activity 2025 collection; Occupation Shortage List 2025 assessment; register training.gov.au, synced 18 September 2026; register synced 18 Sept 2026. Page last updated 19 Sept 2026.