Message Board - Education & Training: diploma or NVQ 2

hi, am am ending my year at school and looking to get qualifacations as a greenkeeper, i alreader have 3 years experinence working at a cricket club, shud i get a national dimploma in sports turf at myerscough (lancishire) or a NVQ 2 at askham ???????

Hi shelly..Both are excelent qualifications..I went the NVQ`s route of progression at Askham bryan college.Where are you situated ?

middlesbrough, but travel is no problem

Henry i think we spoke before..Email me at bm8s@hotmail.com thanks

I have just moved to New Zealand to work as cricket manager in the auckland area, i have a ND and NVQ 2 and have found that down in this end of the world the ND is very highly regarded. Maybe some thing to think about if you plan to take your qualification over seas later in life.....

The University of Groundsmen-there is no better qualification than on the job training.

University of Groundsmen sounds interesting Bert - I am a firm beliver that both can be beneficial, dependent on the individual!

Which "on the job" uni did you attend? Most of the bigger
clubs and greens now make sure some formal qualifiactions are attained by staff!

Hi anonymous..Good luck with your new position in NZ.Bert..Qualification`s and experience go "hand in hand" and compliment each other well.

thank you anthony all is going well so far in NZ.

I take it from you comment bert that you havnt got a qualification!?!

Starting off my education on the playing fields of Bedford, I have progressed well. I am no spring chicken and have neither had the time nor need for extra qualifications, though I do appreciate that there is a call for the younger people out there to go out and back up experience with education. What puzzles me though is that someone with virtually no experience can gain a clutch of NVQs and an HND and probably only do 1 years work experience.

Qualifications and experience, especially for younger Groundsman and greenkeepers go hand in hand.

The NVQ is designed, to give people taking the course, the experience they need to progress professionally, I currently have 1 member of staff on the NVQ programme, and i have been impressed with the syllabus they have to work to.

People coming into the industry, have to have something to focus on, the NVQ gives them this, it gives them a very good introduction to turf Management, without overwhelming them with "jargon" and everything else that goes with it.

There is nothing wrong with the diploma type course, but the NVQ gives the staff member real time experience, that they have to apply to the course to gain the qualification.

Hi... I did the NVQ`S route of progression and i liked the "learn while you earn" method however i also had 4yrs sportsturf experience on commencment of the NVQ programme.In this day and age you realy do require Both to progress as all Jobs advertised require the candidate to have either NVQ`S,HND`S ect ect AND X years of experience.

i must be gettin old ! !... in the early 80s i did my city and guilds phase 1 and 2, and before the PA certificates came out, i also did my spraying qualifications under the guise of ATB (agricultural training board) and all my other certs were on grandfather rights, chainsaws, diggers, etc, but i hasten to add that due to strict legislation i have also updated most of the machine tickets to the more modern type, like chainsaws is now NPTC, spraying is obviously PA, and excavators are CITB. I as a contractor have also come across the situation where by some clients want to see certificates of competence in tractor operating as well.