GROW WITH THE IOG
ON THE RIGHT PATH
LEARNING ON THE JOB Matt Richards joined the grounds team at Beversbrook Sports & Community Facility from college and says the IOG’s training courses have helped him to find his feet
By Karen Maxwell Managing editor
Why did you embark on a career in groundsmanship? I hadn’t intended to join a grounds team but when I was at Wiltshire College in Chippenham, I played sport at Beversbrook Sports & Community Facility in Calne, and I got to know the grounds guys really well. When an opportunity came up to join the team, I grabbed it with both hands. What is your working remit at the site? I help to look after 14 football pitches (various sizes), a cricket outfield, a 3G sports pitch and any other outside area requiring maintenance. What’s been your career path so far? When I started my career, I had no qualifications in groundsmanship, but since then I’ve completed a Level 1 training course and a Level 2 qualification in Turf Maintenance and a training course in maintaining 3G pitches, as well as my PA1 and PA6 spraying courses. I joined Beversbrook in August 2015, as part of a three-man team with one head groundsman. When I joined, I was a complete
“I chose the IOG course because it’s really flexible and can be completed at home or at work” KEEP IN TOUCH
Matt Richards
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46 THE GROUNDSMAN May 2019
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novice and learning the ropes, whereas now I’d like to think I’m more experienced in what I am doing. Why did you choose IOG training? I chose the IOG course because it’s really flexible and can be completed at home or at work. Also, the IOG has a high profile for industry training and is a recognised organisation in this sector, so it’s good to have something like that on my CV. What did you enjoy about the Level 2 Technical Certificate in Turf Surface Maintenance? I enjoyed the fact that the course could be done when I had the time, rather than being set to a fixed timetable. I worked well with my bosses at work and we allocated a couple of days a week. How did you find the course? I enjoyed it a lot, and it was easy to follow with all the help online. I would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking about doing it. The tutors are a great help and respond promptly to emails. What’s your next step with regards to education? I’d like to do Level 3 at some point in the near future, but for now I want to keep building my knowledge and keep doing what I enjoy.
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Institute of Groundsmanship
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