BCA students go behind the scenes at Royal Windsor Racecourse

More than 100 students from BCA gained invaluable experience at a special raceday held at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Monday.

It was the third year of the partnership between the college and the Maidenhead Road venue, which aims to give students first-hand insight into the world of work.

Art and design, business studies and travel and tourism students spent a day at the course, which began with a presentation from racecourse director Stuart Dorn.

He outlined how the venue is structured and how it runs, followed by talks by the head of security, head groundsman and the race commentator about their respective roles.

A tour of the racecourse followed with some of the students getting individual work placements with specialist mentors.

Students learned about security, media operations, finance and hospitality.

BCA marketing manager Amanda Gee said: “It's a really beneficial relationship as it  gives the students real insight into the running of the racecourse and the world of work – which is invaluable at interviews and when applying for jobs.

“The racecourse has made a commitment to employ two apprentices so it was very exciting for students to be put before a potential employer.”

The benefits go beyond the day itself – art and design students at BCA had produced advertising material for the day to a design brief from the course.

Amanda added: “I am really grateful to the racecourse and to Stuart personally as he spent the entire day with us and is the driving force behind its success.”