BEYOND WIMBLEDON: WHY THE SPORTS GROUNDS PROVISION & MAINTENANCE SECTOR NEEDS APPRENTICESHIPS

The Wimbledon Tennis Championships reach their thrilling finals this weekend, with millions set to be tuning in. The importance of pristine sports turf at an event like this and other iconic UK summer sporting fixtures like The Ashes and the British Open can’t be underestimated.

These globally celebrated events thrive not only on the skills of athletes but also on the expertise of the often-unsung heroes behind the scenes: the sports turf professionals.

If your business offers outdoor sports facilities or maintains the sports grounds of other organisations, such as sports clubs, universities, schools, gyms, or community facilities, then using sports turf apprenticeships is an excellent way to ensure your staff have the latest industry skills and techniques to keep grounds in top condition.

Sports turf apprenticeships

A sports turf operative or technician, also referred to as a groundskeeper, is responsible for maintaining and preparing playing surfaces to ensure amateur or professional athletes have a quality environment that enables them to deliver their best performance.

A new recruit or an existing team member who enrols on a sports turf operative apprenticeship will develop the skills and knowledge for maintaining various turf surfaces, such as:

• Grass fields for football, rugby, and cricket.
• Tennis courts, both grass and artificial.
• Athletics tracks to maintain consistent, safe surfaces.
• Golf courses including fairways, bunkers, and greens.
• Artificial sports surfaces

The apprenticeship programme ensures that team members can maintain any outdoor sports facilities at levels that are safe, sustainable, and visually impressive. With the rise in demand for high-quality, well-maintained sports grounds, especially in schools, clubs, gyms, and other sporting venues, creating an apprenticeship to recruit into or upskilling an existing member of staff is a fool-proof way to absorb these skills into your organisation.

Professional skills

An individual who does a sports turf apprenticeship will be trained to the professional standards set by the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG). Here’s what they’ll master:

• Maintaining/renovating turf to ensure grass health, repairing worn patches, and improving turf durability. 
• Installing and maintaining irrigation systems & drainage to keep surfaces in excellent condition year-round. 
• Operating and maintaining equipment like mowers, aerators, and line-marking tools. 
• Monitoring the health of soil and turf to spot and address pests, diseases, and wear patterns. 
• Troubleshooting skills for developing solutions for unexpected weather conditions or seasonal demands.
• Interpersonal Communication: Liaising with players, coaches, event organisers, and stakeholders to understand and meet their needs. 

Business benefits

Apprenticeships bring many benefits beyond the skills developed by your staff member. Here are some of them:

• Funded training: Employers in the Liverpool City Region benefit from fully funded training for under-21s on an apprenticeship. For individuals over 21, smaller businesses pay just 5% of training costs, often covered by levy transfers. Larger organisations will have all training costs paid for through their apprenticeship levy
• Other cost savings: You won’t pay employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under 25 earning below £967 per week.
• Use for new or existing staff: Apprenticeships aren’t just about new recruits. Use them to enhance the skills of existing employees as well. 
• Address skills gaps: Trained apprentices ensure your staff are equipped with the latest industry-approved techniques. 
  
• Corporate responsibility: Creating apprenticeship vacancies for local school leavers and contributing to employment in the region boosts your community impact and CSR strategy.

Hiring an apprentice is straightforward. Your apprentice works within your team like any other employee and spends a set amount of time on structured learning with an approved training provider. This real-world application of their skills ensures they’re job-ready by the time they qualify. You’ll have additional support from an apprenticeship provider to check progress and maintain quality.

Sports grounds excellence in our region

Sport has always been high on the passion agenda in the Liverpool City Region, both in terms of participation and spectating. It also spans many aspects of education and business. By adopting sports turf apprenticeships, employers in this industry can maintain their grounds or those of their clients to high standards, while supporting a sustainable future for sports in our community.

For employers in the Liverpool City Region interested in taking on a sports turf apprentice or enrolling an existing staff member on this apprenticeship, Myerscough College is the leading provider serving the region.