Trainee greenkeeper becomes first Level 2 apprentice
By Alistair
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A student at Myerscough College has become the first trainee greenkeeper in the UK to be enrolled on a ‘Level 2 Apprenticeship’ to the new ‘trailblazer’ standard.
Sixteen-year-old Reece Tomalin will be undertaking the new City and Guilds Level 2 certificate in golf greenkeeping at Trentham Golf Club in Stoke-on-Trent. The new apprenticeship standard includes an assessment plan produced by ‘trailblazers’, who are employer-led groups developing the standards, to make the learner industry ready at the end of their training.
Myerscough College is the first training organisation to use the new standard in greenkeeping.
Reece (pictured right, with Roger Butler, Midlands regional administrator for BIGGA) joined the team at Trentham straight from school, having undertaken GCSEs in the summer of 2016. He will now undertake a two-year apprenticeship, under the direction of experienced course manager, Ed Stant.
Ed Stant said: “Apprenticeships give us the opportunity to bring local young people into our industry and as a business we are proud to be able to facilitate this.
‘’Reece approached us in his final year and showed passion and enthusiasm for the role.
“We are proud to be the first club to be able to offer the apprenticeship against the new standard which has been in development for some time. It’s great to work with Myerscough to deliver a truly gold standard of apprenticeship and to give Reece a fantastic start to his greenkeeping career.
Meanwhile, Hadlow College has been awarded approval to offer the apprenticeship.
The Kent land-based college was recently fast-tracked approved by City & Guilds to offer the qualification, which has been developed by the Greenkeepers Training Committee in association with BIGGA and England Golf.
The apprenticeship standard typically takes two years to complete and upon completion, apprentices will be eligible to join BIGGA as a full member.
Anthony Stockwell, sports turf assessor at Hadlow College, said: “I am very optimistic for the future of greenkeeping education and I believe these changes will continue to raise the standards within the profession.”
The college already has its first two applicants, Adam Richardson, 17, and Callum Melody, 18, who are the first students in the south of England to take the new apprenticeship. Both will be based at Royal St George’s, the Open Championship course in Kent.
Adam, who has already been working as a caddy at Royal St. George’s for 3 years, said: “We’re the guinea pigs for this brand new apprenticeship, so we don’t really know what to expect yet, but we’re buzzing with excitement.”
Callum, who has been working at Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club in Kent, said: “I’m hoping to progress onto Level 3 after completing this. We’ll both be fully-qualified by the time of the 2020 Open, so it’s exciting!”
By Alistair
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