How West Kent is putting greenkeeping on the radar for local school children
When Steve Smith was a pupil at Charles Darwin School in Kent, he had no idea what he wanted to do for a living.
If greenkeeping had been presented as an option, he would almost certainly have found his way into the industry sooner. Now, as first assistant mechanic at West Kent Golf Club, Steve has gone back to his old school – which his own children now attend – to tell the next generation about the industry he has come to love. With the backing of the club and Course Manager Wayne Aris, Steve put the wheels in motion to host an event welcoming a group of 11 Year 10 students.
Consisting of practical demonstrations, machinery workshops and quizzes, the day captured the imaginations of a cohort who will soon be deciding what they want to do when they leave school.
“When I was that age, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” Steve said. “Had this been offered to me at the time, I probably would have been into greenkeeping a lot earlier. I had to explain what it is we actually do. There’s the physical side, the science side and the engineering side. It appeals to a wide audience.”
The youngsters saw greens being mown and rolled, watched a hole-changing demonstration, and tried their hand at a putting competition.
“We worked out what we could do to demonstrate the more enjoyable side of greenkeeping,” Wayne said. “I was selected for the TPC Sawgrass trip last year, so I talked about that. I tried to elaborate on the opportunities BIGGA provides. The more you put in, the more you get out.”
The response was overwhelmingly positive, with two attendees enquiring about work experience opportunities at the club.
“They were impressed by everything, other than the 5am start,” Steve joked. Wayne added: “Our industry is crying out for enthusiastic young people to join and this is a great way to get the message out.”
Wayne and Steve are looking into hosting further events and hope to welcome more children on site to showcase greenkeeping and what a career in the industry can offer.
Author
