Apprentice Grounds Person

Summary

Nottingham Forest is seeking three keen and dedicated Apprentices to join our Pitch Performance Team. They will work as part of the club’s pitch performance team and help in the maintenance of playing surfaces. Tasks will include pitch cutting, marking, equipment upkeep, working with data testing equipment, and ensuring high standards.

Wage

£19,000 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course

Sports turf operative (level 2)

Hours

Working hours are 42 hours per week worked across 7 days, including home match days and on an ad hoc basis. You are entitled to a half-hour break a day. Start and end times may vary and will be agreed with your manager in advance.

42 hours a week

Start date

Sunday 1 June 2025

Duration

2 years

Positions available

3

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

Ensure pitches and playing areas are maintained and prepared to high professional standards, under the direction of the pitch performance team.
Perform pre and post-training and match tasks, including marking and cutting, divoting, light mowing, spraying, and other tasks.
Undertake minor construction and landscaping tasks.
Operate and maintain machinery, vehicles, and equipment used for grounds maintenance.
Adhere to health and safety guidelines, ensuring work areas are clean, organised, and secure.
Collaborate effectively with colleagues and club staff.
Maintain flexibility in working hours, including participating in weekend/midweek rota match cover.

Where you’ll work

The City Ground
Pavilion Road
West Bridgford
Nottingham
NG2 5FJ

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 Point Assessment Components:

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

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

Attention to detail
Team working
Independent working
Strong work ethic
Interest in pitches
Commitment to H&S

Other requirements

Manual labour is involved in the role, operating machinery. There are regular buses available to the City Ground and Training Ground. We are 1 mile from the train station. You will be expected to work outdoors in all weather conditions.

About this company

In 1865, a group of Nottingham-based shinney - a sport similar to hockey - players met at the Clinton Arms on Shakespeare Street. It was here that JS Scrimshaw's proposition to begin playing football instead was passed, and Nottingham Forest Football Club was born. The founder members were, A Barks, W Brown, W P Brown, C F Daft, T Gamble, R P Hawkesley, T G Howitt, W I Hussey, W R Lymberry, J Milford, J H Rastall, W H Revis, J G Richardson, J S Scrimshaw, J Tomlinson. The first official football match took place on 22 March 1866 against Notts County. At the same meeting, it was agreed the team would purchase a dozen tasselled caps in the colour of 'Garibaldi Red' - named after the leader of the Italian 'Redshirts' freedom fighters, who were popular in England at the time. The club's official colours were established. In 1898, Forest moved to The City Ground after a concerted fundraising effort secured the £3,000 required. With an FA Cup in the cabinet and ambition in abundance, the future promised much for The Reds. Looking back, 160 years is certainly a long time. The 15 young men that met in the Clinton Arms in 1865 would never have dreamt that their offspring would have played for such great prizes in Munich, Madrid or Tokyo. When they played their first semi-final of the FA Cup in 1879 they didn't even own a ground. When they won the European Cup, they had won their own league only once. When they went to Bolton on 25 November 1978, they had not lost a game for a whole year. They won the European Cup undefeated. Nottingham Forest Football Club - surely the greatest football team in the world.

http://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Plan to embed them into the Pitch Performance team and develop experience within the team. Give exposure to the data analysis and technology behind improving the pitch performance. Opportunities to develop into more senior roles within the team beyond this initial apprenticeship

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE

Conor Quinn

conor.quinn@nottinghamforest.co.uk

07482 437895

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000316849.

Apply now

Closes in 22 days (Friday 16 May 2025)

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