BIGGA appoints dedicated workforce project manager

BIGGA has appointed a dedicated workforce project manager as the association seeks to promote the greenkeeping profession to a wide audience.

 

BIGGA has appointed an experienced project manager to oversee the implementation of the innovative First Green initiative and to create an online resource centre that will showcase careers in greenkeeping to a wide audience.

Jennifer Bledge has spent over a decade working in information governance roles within education. She is also a former parent governor of Sandwich Infant School and is a qualified teacher. Jennifer also has experience of developing relationships with various stakeholders across education, which will prove vital as BIGGA seeks to engage with other organisations to successfully implement its outreach programme.

BIGGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Croxton said: “The appointment of a workforce recruitment project manager for BIGGA stands to be one of the most important strategic decisions the association has made in some time. It represents a fundamental shift in how we approach the challenges our industry faces and I hope gives confidence to our members that we are aware of the various issues relating to staff welfare, recruitment and retention and are addressing these head on.

At BTME 2023 in January, BIGGA announced it would be adopting the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America’s (GCSAA) successful First Green initiative. First Green transforms golf courses into STEM classrooms and Jennifer will oversee the development of a UK-specific toolkit that will aid in the roll out of this scheme. 

Jenny will also lead in the development of a digital careers in greenkeeping resource centre that is aimed at school leavers, graduates, second careers and golfers. Supporting this, she will liaise with ex-military and public services careers services, the National Careers Service, various charities and universities with related degree courses.

Jim added: “Jennifer was the outstanding candidate for this role and given her decades of experience working within education, I am thrilled she has joined the team. I look forward to sharing updates about the various projects she will be working on in the coming years with our members and the wider golfing public. There is a long way to go, but with the appointment of a talented project manager in Jennifer, I am confident we have taken a vital first step.”

Jennifer has an existing understanding of the greenkeeping industry as her husband James Bledge is Royal Liverpool Golf Club’s course manager and is preparing to host The Open in July this year.

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First Green: Turning golf courses into classrooms

First Green is an innovative environmental education outreach programme using golf courses as hands-on environmental learning labs. First Green coordinates outdoor STEM field trips on golf courses that allow students to perform hands-on experiments and tests. 

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton discusses the First Green initiative

"The best part about First Green is that there are golf courses in practically every community in the UK and education days can take place at every one of them. This makes the programme accessible to kids everywhere, not just those in large population centres." Jim Croxton, BIGGA CEO

First Green is an innovative environmental and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) education and outreach programme using golf courses as learning labs. Golf course managers, head greenkeepers and/or local golf course representatives host students on field trips where they test water quality, collect soil samples, identify plants, design plantings, assist in stream bed restoration and are involved in the ecology and environmental aspects of the golf course. The students are also introduced to many other aspects of golf.

Golf courses offer economic benefits, recreational opportunities and green spaces to the communities they serve. Golf courses are large parcels of land with healthy turf, trees and other vegetation. They provide wildlife habitat, produce oxygen and filter surface water.

Creating new learning opportunities

 

Founded in 1997, First Green is the only STEM education and environmental outreach programme in the United States, Canada and now the United Kingdom that uses golf courses as learning labs.

Wildlife and local community benefits

• Provide wildlife corridors and habitats in an ever increasing urban landscape.
• Inspire young students to pursue an education and/or career in STEM.
• Enlighten communities about the benefits golf courses can have for their environment.
• Create a learning and recreation centre that brings the community together.

First Green's impact

The First Green curriculum benefits young students by helping them apply their classroom knowledge in an outdoor setting. By understanding how STEM concepts connect, students find new inspiration in their school work and the possibility of a career in golf or a STEM-related field.

Six benefits of First Green

1. Applying lessons

Learning labs bring the classroom to life on the golf course.

2. Inspiring students

Sparking students' interest in STEM through hands-on experiences.

3. Building community

Raising awareness for conservation brings people together for a common cause.

4. Strengthening futures

More interest in STEM advances our youth, the economy and society at large

5. Advancing golf

The future of the game depends on sustainability

6. Having fun

Field trips to a golf course bring school lessons to life in new and engaging ways.

GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans discusses the impact of First Green in the United States

"If we can get just one student from each field trip interested in the game of golf, curious about working on a course, or studying turfgrass management, then it is a huge success." Ryan Kraushofer, First Green Liaison, Mid-Atlantic AGCS

First Green was introduced in the United States in 1997 and is licenced by BIGGA with kind permission of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and its Foundation,

Learn more at thefirstgreen.org or to speak to a member of the BIGGA team, email info@bigga.co.uk or call 01347 833 800.