LEVEL 3 WINTER PITCHES COURSE LAUNCHED

The Grounds Management Association has announced the latest addition to its online training with its new course, Level 3 – Winter Pitches ‘Advanced Turf Culture’ for experienced volunteers and professionals.

The new online course is suitable for experienced volunteers and grounds team members, and will help participants understand the advanced technical aspects of turf maintenance, and how they form an integral part of a detailed maintenance programme. The course will also support participants in getting the most from their playing surfaces in terms of quality standards and carrying capacity.
 
Upon successful completion, the GMA say participants will have improved their knowledge of winter pitch care management by taking modules that cover soil nutrient testing, grass cultivars and evaluation, control of threats to turf health, health and safety, and the influence of drainage, soil type and compaction, all of which will impact on the carrying capacity of pitches. In addition, the course addresses key skills such as planning winter maintenance programmes and managing surfaces in order to optimise carrying capacity.
 
Level 3 – Winter Pitches ‘Advanced Turf Culture’ takes approximately 6 hours to complete and consists of 7 lessons with content produced by the GMA’s specialist technical and learning team. It is priced at £150 for non-members, or with a discount of 30% for GMA
 
Jason Booth, chief operations officer, said, “Our online learning has been a huge success, and we’re really pleased to be launching this course not long after reaching the milestone of 1000 sign-ups to online training since we first launched it back in May 2020. We’re determined to ensure that grounds staff at all levels have the opportunity to learn and develop their skills, despite the challenges that national restrictions and lockdowns create. With high rainfall and snow ahead of us, launching Level 3 – Winter Pitches ‘Advanced Turf Culture’ now was the clear next step to our online offerings.”
 
“Following our Level 1 and Level 2 online training courses that cover the basics of grounds maintenance and management, we believe that those who already have some experience also have the opportunity to improve. It also offers inexperienced grounds staff the chance to improve their skills and capabilities through online modules that support their development.”