STUDENT LANDS GROUNDS MANAGEMENT CAREER

With help from education fund
STUDENT LANDS GROUNDS MANAGEMENT CAREER

The organisers of the GroundsFest trade show say their education fund is making an impact on the next generation of grounds management professionals, with several students already benefiting from its support. 

Recently they say, George Legg, a student studying Sports Turf NVQ Level 2 at Wiltshire College and an Apprentice at Stanley Park Sports Ground, was able to finance essential qualifications that played a key role in him securing a full-time position at Stanley Park Sports Ground after completing his Level 2 qualification.

One of the key certifications George was able to pursue through the education fund was the PA1 qualification in the Principles of Safe Handling and Application of Pesticides, as well as the PA6 qualification for the Safe Use of Pesticides with Handheld Applicators. 

“The Education Fund helped massively,” George explained. “Once I had those qualifications on my CV, it was a massive boost. It made me more qualified to do certain things and definitely made me more employable.”

He continues, “I needed some extra funding to be able to do these courses, and the PA6 is especially important for grounds management with fertilisers and calibrations. It linked in perfectly with everything I was studying. Having those extra qualifications was big for me and for Stanley Park, especially because they didn’t have to fund them themselves.”

The GroundsFest organisers say their fund enabled George to obtain these qualifications, but it also allowed him to gain valuable skills without burdening his employer, Stanley Park Sports Ground, with the costs. This, according to George, is crucial in a time when the grounds management industry is facing a shortage of qualified professionals. “The GroundsFest Education Fund is great for creating opportunities for people like me,” he says. “It’s crucial because we are seeing more and more people drop out of the industry. There’s already a lack of groundstaff, and without funding or support, it becomes much harder for people to progress.”

In January, George will begin his new role as a full-time groundsperson at Stanley Park, where he will be responsible for day-to-day tasks such as line marking, mowing, calibration, and operating machinery safely. Looking ahead, George hopes to continue advancing in his career. “I’d like to eventually become a grounds manager,” he cofirmed.

Christopher Bassett, Event Director of GroundsFest, expressed his excitement about George’s success and the broader impact of the Education Fund. “This is fantastic news,” he says. “We are currently working hard on entering the next phase of the Education Fund, which will see the profits from the event reaching an even wider range of people in the industry. Watch this space.”

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