The Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), the leading membership organisation for grounds professionals involved in the management of sports pitches, landscape and amenity facilities, has embarked upon a groundbreaking nationwide survey of the UK grounds management industry.

For the first time in industry history, the results will provide a quantifiable benchmark of the economic value of the sector as well as numbers employed, remuneration levels and likely skills gaps that need to be filled in the future.

The results will enable the IOG to further enhance its ambitious Challenging Perceptions strategy that sets out to reinforce its standing as ‘the’ leading professional organisation for grounds management – recognised by the National Governing Bodies of Sport and the public, private and voluntary sectors for its industry knowledge and technical expertise.
Specialist consultancy TrioPlus is determining the value and importance of the UK grounds management sector by investigating, for example: The number of facilities in the UK – and number of people employed
Employment trends and associated matters, by sector – such as benefits and salaries in relation to skills, qualifications and length of service Training/skills update opportunities – skills gaps Minority representation
The survey is being carried out online (via www.iog.org – click on the Have You Say link), and by ‘phone and face-to-face interviews, and the results are expected by the end of the year.

Geoff Webb, IOG Chief Executive, comments: “Key data about the grounds management industry is at best anecdotal and we want to drill down and find the information that really drives our industry.

“We already know that young people and skilled individuals entering the industry are very low in terms of numbers and if this is not urgently addressed it will result in a real crisis in terms of grounds preparation and maintenance during the next 10-15 years.

“When the results are in, we will for the first time have a true measure of the size of the industry and the views of the people within it. The information will be invaluable in enabling the IOG to progress the industry as whole and to promote the professionalism of the sector in front of Government and National Governing Bodies, for example.
“All information will be treated confidentially, of course, and I urge everyone to take part.”