Ransomes Jacobsen training for Greenkeepers in Austria
Robert Ernst, one of the Ransomes Jacobsen Cutting Edge Training team responsible for end user training in Europe, has been tutoring greenkeepers at Landwirtschaftliche Fachschule Warth, an Austrian government-operated Agricultural and Green Science College in Warth, about 80 km outside Vienna.
Up to 24 students, primarily greenkeepers from Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic, enrol in the course which features three modules: Mechanical treatment of golf surfaces - aeration, grooming, verticutting, slitting, spiking, top dressing and soil injection; Cutting units - grinding, setting, adjustment and maintenance; and Basic hydraulics and electrics.
The students attend the college for four weeks during the winter months for three years before sitting a final written examination and practical tests. Robert Ernst also sits on the Examination Board at the college.
Commenting on the success of the training programme he said,
"We have been involved with this greenkeeper education programme for the past 15 years. Our distributor in Vienna, AZ Tech, helps with the delivery of the programme and facilitates some of the practical workshops that are a feature of the course. We had 16 students on the last course and all passed with excellent marks."
Jason King, who heads up Cutting Edge Training, the independent training division of Ransomes Jacobsen added,
"As a company we are committed to ensuring that people in the grounds care and turf maintenance sectors are fully trained in the safe use and operation of the equipment they use on a daily basis. Certification that clearly demonstrates competence is good and can only help raise standards and the overall perception of the profession."
For further information please contact:
Peter Driver, PR Officer, Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd
West Road, Ransomes Europark, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3 9TT.
Tel: 01473 276386. Email: peterd@tip.textron.com.