Sports Turf Academy Apprentice

Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the LCFC Sports Turf Academy as an Apprentice, where you will learn all aspects of turf management in a high-profile sporting venue.

Annual wage: Competitive
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Training course: Sports turf operative (level 2)
Hours: Working hours vary depending on season and training schedules, typically it is 8am-4.30pm (1 hour lunch break) Mon-Fri. Most weekend working is on rota with TOIL applied.
37 hours 30 minutes a week
Possible start date: Saturday 1 February
Duration: 2 years
Positions available: 2

Work

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

As part of the new state of the art training facility, Leicester City Football Club is seeking to appoint Sports Turf Academy Apprentices to join our Sports Turf Academy and Grounds Team. We are looking for aspiring sports turf professionals to join our award-winning grounds team with a focus on their career development through education and training on a nationally recognised apprenticeship programme. These roles offer opportunities to develop practical skills at world-class training grounds and wider sports turf, including an exclusive golf course, grassroots community pitches and possibly tournament support. These apprentices will be mentored by some of the UK’s leading sports turf professionals and have access to Sports Turf Academy resources and education programmes.

The successful postholder will learn to conduct routine maintenance and servicing of the playing surfaces, learning various techniques and using different machinery to develop and maintain world-class facilities. On-the-job training will provide practical experience and generous off-the-job training will be provided to ensure completion of the apprenticeship training programme. The Apprentice will work closely with their training provider (college) to set academic targets and to ensure the programme offers a consistent challenge and an enjoyable learning experience. On completion of the apprenticeship, the qualified Sports Turf Operative will be in an excellent position to apply for skilled positions in the sports turf industry, both nationally and internationally.

Where you’ll work

Leicester City Training Ground

Park Hill Lane

Seagrave

LE12 7NG

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*)

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

Use their own initiative
Have a strong desire to learn
Excellent attention to detail
High regard for working safely
Work as part of a team
Full list on LCFC website

Other requirements

Leicester City Football Club is an equal opportunities employer, and we positively welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, etc. Leicester City Football Club 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 & Barring Service and prior to taking up any role. A shortlist of suitable applicants will be compiled shortly after the closing date and successful candidates will be contacted about the interview process.

About this company

Knowing some of the history of Leicester City Football Club helps you appreciate the sense of community, spirit and family for which the Foxes are renowned for. Formed in 1884, Leicester City became Premier League champions in 2016; this remarkable achievement qualified them for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the Club’s history and reached the quarter finals. Under the stewardship of King Power and the Club’s CEO Susan Whelan, Leicester City Football Club is deeply committed to the local community and its supporters and continually strives to ensure that every point of engagement with fans is truly world class including the experience on matchdays. Meanwhile, investment in the Club continues, with the recent opening of a new world-class 180-acre Training Ground in north Leicester. Ultimately, the Club’s vision is as exciting as it is simple: we believe that together, it’s possible. We value and respect individual difference and recognise that the diversity of our staff contributes to our success off the pitch. Our inclusive culture and approach is supported by our Stonewall Diversity Champions partnership, our Time to Change pledge and our status as a Disability Confident employer.

https://www.lcfc.com/pages/en/home (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

We offer a competitive salary and pension scheme with life assurance to all its permanent employees. Employees are able to benefit from free onsite parking and an onsite subsidised staff restaurant.

After this apprenticeship

Opportunities to work as a skilled Sports Turf Operative.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is: