Apprenticeship training course
Sports turf operative (level 2)
Maintaining and renovating sports surfaces to make sure that public and private sports facilities are available for use.
- Qualification level
-
2
Equivalent to GCSE. - Typical duration
- 18 months
- Apprenticeship category
- Agriculture, environmental and animal care
- Maximum funding
-
£6,000
Maximum amount government will fund
for apprenticeship training. - Also known as
-
- Groundskeeper
- Groundsperson
- Sports turf operative
- Skills
-
Skills an apprentice will learn
- 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 (including non-mowing 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.
Full information on Sports turf operative (level 2) is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.