Training & Development
Michael Coleman with Myerscough’s Lee Price
tailoring the provision to suit the needs of our club. We receive regular reviews and feedback to ensure that all our learners achieve on time.”
Sam’s Workbased Assessor, Simon Dadge, also comments on the reasons behind the nomination, saying; “Sam was an excellent student and it was quite a simple decision to enter him in to the competition of Greenkeeper of the Year. Sam worked effectively through the course with the E-Portfolio enabling him to work at his own pace and keep him up to date with all the assignments and projects. The work was always to a high standard and covered the practical and knowledge criteria with that little added detail. I will be keen to see how Sam progresses through the industry and wish him well in the future.”
BIGGA Learning & Development Manager, Sami Strutt, said; “The standard was again superb this year and we were very impressed by the high level of knowledge demonstrated in the students’ technical reports, and also their composure in a tough interview situation. We wish all the finalists the very best in their future greenkeeping careers.”
Also, greenkeeper Michael Coleman, now of Willesley Park Golf Club, became the only Horticulture Apprentice nationally to reach the final stages of the 2013 National Apprenticeship Awards. In a ceremony for the East Midlands regional finalists, Michael was ‘Highly
Commended’ by the judging panel in the Intermediate Apprentice of the Year category.
Michael said he was delighted to be recognised; “I knew I wanted to become a greenkeeper but, having struggled at school, I found finding a job really hard.
However, Kedleston Park Golf Club was willing to give me a chance and I worked hard to complete my apprenticeship with the support of Myerscough College.”
“Apprenticeships are a great way for young people to do a paid job and get proper recognised training. The apprenticeship has given me the skills and confidence to progress and I’ve now moved on to a new role at Willesley Park Golf Club.”
Workbased Assessor, Jonathan Knowles, also comments on what makes Michael’s achievement special, saying; “In retrospect, it is fair to say that the classroom based activities just didn’t suit his style of learning, and school in general caused him a lot of frustration. At his induction on the apprenticeship it was clear that literacy was his weakness and, because of this, additional learning support was appropriate for Michael.”
“However, his attitude and work ethic were exceptional and, to his credit, his mental numeracy and arithmetic was astounding. He played this to his strengths when completing his Pesticide Application Awards with its convoluted maths problems.”
The NPTC assessor said, after years of assessing experience, that he was really impressed with Michael’s calibration maths - “how he can work it out in his head is remarkable.”
Michael continued to work hard for his employer, taking on more and more responsibility for tasks and working independently.
“Michael was really pleased with his achievement and his contribution to Kedleston Park Golf Club,” continues Jonathan. “I know that he was especially
National Work Based Training Manager, Myerscough College
pleased with all his new abilities to name trees, shrubs, weeds and grasses by visual identification; not only by common, but also the scientific (Latin) names, a real achievement for him overcoming his literacy hurdle. He successfully completed his apprenticeship, within our agreed timeframe. He has now moved onto a new role and I am sure the future is bright for Michael.”
Michael’s mother, Patricia Coleman also speaks of his achievements, saying; “Having played golf with Mike at Kedleston, I soon realised the passion and pride he has for his job. He was pointing out maintenance work he’d done, naming grass types and even telling me the Latin names of trees. I was amazed by his enthusiasm and knowledge and knew he’d found his niche in life. Without Jonathan’s support and efforts to find the right methods to teach Mike, his achievement today may never have been possible. Apprenticeships really do create life changing opportunities for young people.”
As a college, we continue to expand our employer base through the hard work and dedication of the Employer Services Team. Already this year, they have helped with the promotion and recruitment to over fifty apprenticeship positions, many within the sportsturf industry across the country.
We also aim to support employers as much as possible with the training and up-skilling of their existing workforce.
A recent high profile addition is another Premier League Football Club, Newcastle United. They have engaged with the college to deliver Level 3 Advanced Diplomas in Sportsturf to three of their
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 PC 137
Philip Lomas,
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