Apprentice Groundsperson

Summary

Everton Football Club is seeking a dedicated Groundsperson (Apprentice) to join our team and help maintain our world-class playing surfaces and facilities to the highest standards. As a Groundsperson at Everton FC, you will be responsible for the maintenance and preparation of our pitches and surrounding facilities.

Wage

£22,932 a year

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Salary is up to £22,932.00.

Training course

Sports turf operative (level 2)

Hours

This role is available on a fixed-term contact, working 40 hours per week. The role will be primarily based at Finch Farm, with opportunities to work from other Club sites as required.

40 hours a week

Start date

Thursday 1 May 2025

Duration

2 years

Positions available

2

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you’ll do at work

Key Responsibilities:

Undertake routine preparation and maintenance work on a range of sports facilities and surfaces as detailed on work schedules
Undertake preparatory and cultivation work to maintain safe quality playing surfaces
Set up all sports pitches or amenity surfaces
Undertake minor construction and landscaping work
Drive vehicles and equipment as required for ground maintenance operations
Ensure vehicles and equipment used by self and other Groundstaff are regularly maintained in accordance with routine operating requirements
Promote the Health and Safety of self and others; ensuring the work area is kept clean, tidy and secure at all times, as well as responding to emergencies in an appropriate manner
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with managers, colleagues and end users
To work flexibly and actively as part of a team, including participation in the weekend duty rota

Other Responsibilities:

To take responsibility for personal performance and the development of personal skills to ensure the required skills, knowledge and competence to fulfil the role
To encourage and promote the values of the Everton Family and to comply with the required standards of conduct and so promote the Club within the community by acting with integrity and honesty
To promote, adhere to and implement the Everton Family Equality and Diversity Policy and to work consistently to embed equality and diversity
To attend staff meetings as required
To attend training courses and external seminars and meetings as appropriate/required

Where you’ll work

Finch Farm
Finch Lane, Halewood
Liverpool
L26 3UE

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE

Your training course

Sports turf operative (level 2)

Equal to GCSE

Course contents

Apply the correct rates and range of materials to sports turf surfaces (e.g. grass seed, granular fertilisers, bulky top-dressing, turf and root zone).
Set and mark out the sports turf surface in accordance with the relevant governing body rules (including line marking, the 3-4-5 squaring technique, and marking arcs and semi-circles).
Prepare machinery and equipment to ensure their safe and effective use when carrying out sport turf tasks.
Maintain levels of soil moisture using either irrigation or drainage systems.
Inspect the condition of sports turf, make observations and communicate findings (e.g. PQS, weeds, pests, diseases, thatch content).
Prepare the ground and established grass areas as part of sports turf renovation tasks (e.g. overseeding, turfing).
Carry out cylinder mowing of sports turf surface(s) in accordance with set requirements.
Carry out repair of sports turf surfaces using relevant equipment and machinery (e.g. divot repair, foot hole repair, animal damage).
Prepare and safely operate a tractor and it's attachments.
Select and use relevant communication styles (e.g. verbal, written, digital) to convey information to different audiences (e.g. clients, staff, suppliers).
Adopts a systematic approach to troubleshooting and solving day-to-day resource or equipment issues.
Identify a range of turf grasses (vegetative and seed). (Including, perennial ryegrass smooth stalk meadow grass, annual meadow grass, fescue grass (fine), bent grass).
Carry out maintenance of sports turf surface using relevant equipment and machinery (including scarification, and aeration).
Dispose of waste in a safe and sustainable manner.
Apply the correct rates and range of materials to sports turf surfaces (e.g. grass seed, granular fertilisers, bulky top-dressing, turf and root zone).
Set and mark out the sports turf surface in accordance with the relevant governing body rules (including line marking, the 3-4-5 squaring technique, and marking arcs and semi-circles).
Prepare machinery and equipment to ensure their safe and effective use when carrying out sport turf tasks.
Maintain levels of soil moisture using either irrigation or drainage systems.
Inspect the condition of sports turf, make observations and communicate findings (e.g. PQS, weeds, pests, diseases, thatch content).
Prepare the ground and established grass areas as part of sports turf renovation tasks (e.g. overseeding, turfing).
Carry out cylinder mowing of sports turf surface(s) in accordance with set requirements.
Carry out repair of sports turf surfaces using relevant equipment and machinery (e.g. divot repair, foot hole repair, animal damage).
Prepare and safely operate a tractor and it's attachments.
Select and use relevant communication styles (e.g. verbal, written, digital) to convey information to different audiences (e.g. clients, staff, suppliers).
Adopts a systematic approach to troubleshooting and solving day-to-day resource or equipment issues.
Identify a range of turf grasses (vegetative and seed). (Including, perennial ryegrass smooth stalk meadow grass, annual meadow grass, fescue grass (fine), bent grass).
Carry out maintenance of sports turf surface using relevant equipment and machinery (including scarification, and aeration).
Dispose of waste in a safe and sustainable manner.

Your training plan

Qualifications:

Apprentices will achieve the Apprenticeship Sports Turf Operative Level 2 certificate and will then be eligible to join the IOG Register of Turf Management Professionals.

End Assessment Components:

The End Assessment forms 100% of the assessment of achievement of the apprenticeship standard.

The End Assessment will contain 2 components:

A written and online test which will assess knowledge and behaviours and will be assessed by an independent assessment organisation. This will be graded as Fail/Pass/Merit/Distinction weighted by 40%
A practical assessment assessing skills, behaviours and knowledge. This will be assessed by an independent assessment organisation. This will be graded Fail/Pass/Merit/Distinction weighted by 60%

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

2 other subjects (grade 2-9/E-A*)
English (grade 2-9/E-A*)
Maths (grade 2-9/E-A*)

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade 4-9/C-A*)
Maths (grade 4-9/C-A*)
Science/Biology (grade Any)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Team working
Initiative
Flexible working hours
Self-motivated
Able to use initiative
Willingness to learn
Can do attitude
Punctual
Proactive

Other requirements

The closing date of this advert is 11 April 2025; however, the Club reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received. The Everton Family is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment. The Everton Family is committed to equal opportunities and is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We provide a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process, we accept all job applications in a variety of formats and should you need any documents in a different format or require any further support or assistance please contact the Recruitment Team via email - careers@evertonfc.com.  Please visit the Everton FC website for full vacancy information: https://evertonfc.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Everton-Careers/job/Groundsperson--Apprentice-_R2330

About this company

We are Everton Football Club, and we are icons of world football. As one of the bastions of the global game, with a rich and successful history, we are now setting our sights on a new, exciting future. With a proud and illustrious past, the Club is currently embarking on a new and exciting journey with the construction of our new stadium on the banks of the River Mersey. With that exciting development comes an ambition to have a Men’s and Women’s First Team squad that is competing regularly at the top of domestic and European football. Our values underpin how we behave, how we represent our Club in our city, and across the world of football, and how we look after one another daily. They provide a framework for how we work with partners, suppliers, and most importantly our fans.

https://www.evertonfc.com/ (opens in new tab)

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

There is the potential for a full-time contract upon successful completion of the apprenticeship please

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