As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

Main Duties:

• Ensuring the Clubs playing areas are maintained and presented to the highest standard using a range of turfcare machinery and techniques
• Cutting the pitch with cylinder and rotary machinery
• Aeration of the pitch with various machinery
• Nutritional applications to the surface
• Undertake any renovation work
• Maintain machinery that is on site
• Work in a way that promotes good Health & Safety
• Preparation of the pitch to include cutting, marking, divotting, brushing, rolling, forking, sand application, seeding and any other pitch duties
• Deployment of rain covers, marking out and dismantling of practice nets

Other Duties:

• To work with and support other team members as required to ensure an effective and efficient service is developed and delivered
• You will be expected to seek ways of updating and improving personal skills, knowledge and understanding relevant to your own job role
• Managing the upkeep and development of the pitch at the stadium, and the pitches and training facilities at the training ground
• Cleaning and presentation of the external areas of the stadium and training ground
• To promote a professional image of the club and themselves at all times
• To adhere to SWFC policies including the implementation of Safeguarding and EDI initiatives and practices
• Any other reasonable duties as requested by your line manager

Where you’ll work

Hillsborough

Sheffield

S6 1SW

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

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*)

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

• Interest in pitch preparation
• Self-motivated and dedicated
• Reliable and Hard working
• A willingness to learn
• Can-do attitude
• Ability to follow instruction
• Maintain high standards
• Good attention to detail
• A willingness to be adaptable
• Teamwork

Other requirements

Please see detailed list of skills and personal attributes below: • Experience or at least an interest in Football pitch preparation. • Self-motivated and dedicated. • Reliable and Hard working • A willingness to learn with a can-do attitude. • Ability to follow instruction and maintain high standards. • Good attention to detail • A willingness to be adaptable and to work weekends and unsociable hours as required by the job. • Teamwork contributing to the overall success of the team and the Club as a whole.

About this company

Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Equal Opportunities SWFC is an Equal Opportunities and Disability Confident employer and welcomes applicants from all sectors of the community. Safeguarding SWFC is committed to Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. As such you may be subject to a satisfactory enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service and prior to taking up any role.

https://www.swfc.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

• Company Pension • Westfield Health Cover • Free Parking • 28 Days Holiday (inc bank holidays) • SWFC Season Ticket • Staff Discount at the Owls Megastore • Funded Training Opportunities.

After this apprenticeship

On completion of the apprenticeship, you would be qualified as a skilled Groundsperson with the opportunity of full-time permanent employment at SWFC or further opportunities within the industry.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE

Employer Services

employerenquiries@myerscough.ac.uk

01995642255

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000304351.