Tag Archive for: Technician

Finalists for 2025 US Open technician volunteer opportunity

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Finalists for 2025 US Open technician volunteer opportunity: The Bernhard Academy is pleased to reveal the three finalists for its sponsorship programme, offering one lucky equipment technician the chance to travel to Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, USA to volunteer as part of the 125th US Open support team.

The finalists are:

James Breeze – Huddersfield Golf Club

Paul Spencer – Royal Birkdale Golf Club

Paul Colebatch – The Worcestershire Golf Club

Finalists for 2025 US Open technician volunteer opportunity

Finalists for 2025 US Open technician volunteer opportunity

Each has demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication to their chosen career as equipment technicians. To select the eventual winner, the Bernhard Academy team will visit each of the finalists at their clubs in early January to conduct the final interview phase.

The winner will be announced on Monday, 20th January 2025, as part of the Bernhard Academy’s Reception evening at BTME, BIGGA’s annual turf management exhibition in Harrogate. This marks the conclusion of a rigorous selection process to identify the best candidate for this unique career-development opportunity.

Sami Strutt, Education Director for the Bernhard Academy, said: “We’re proud to announce James, Paul, and Paul as our finalists. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for equipment technicians based in the UK, and highlights the work the Academy is doing to promote the crucial role of technicians, and offer opportunities for them to further develop their skills.”

The winner will join Oakmont Country Club’s volunteer team for the third major of the year in the men’s game, the US Open. There, they will work with industry professionals and the Oakmont team to prepare the course for the world’s best players to compete. They will also attend a preparatory training workshop at a Bernhard Academy venue before their visit.

In partnership with the Turf Equipment Technicians Organisation (T.E.T.O), this sponsorship underscores the Bernhard Academy’s dedication to recognising and advancing the role of equipment technicians, fostering skill development, and driving innovation in the sports turf industry.

For further information about the competition, please visit: https://bernhardacademy.co.uk/tournamentvolunteer/

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Bernhard Academy to sponsor technician

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Bernhard Academy to sponsor technician: The Bernhard Academy is excited to announce its sponsorship of an equipment technician for the upcoming 125th US Open, held at the prestigious Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, USA. The Bernhard Academy is working in partnership with the Turf Equipment Technicians Organisation (T.E.T.O) to bring a new opportunity to the group. T.E.T.O has been created to improve recognition, opportunity, communication and education across our industry whilst creating valuable support networks.

The Bernhard Academy is presenting this unique opportunity, inviting experienced equipment technicians from the UK and Europe to apply for a single, coveted spot on the volunteer support team at Oakmont Country Club next June, where they will gain firsthand experience working on golf’s biggest stage at the 125th US Open.

Bernhard Academy to sponsor technician

Bernhard Academy to sponsor technician

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime for an enthusiastic equipment technician”, commented Sami Strutt, Education Director for the Bernhard Academy. “To prepare the golf course that will host the game’s best players provides an excellent chance to apply their technical skills, as well as getting a front-row seat to the US Open.”

The successful applicant will possess a minimum of three years’ experience as an equipment technician in a sports turf setting. Bernhard’s knowledge and excellence will be shared with the lucky volunteer, when they attend a training workshop at a Bernhard Academy venue, to ensure that they are fully prepared ahead of their trip to Oakmont. Applicants must be part of T.E.T.O to be eligible. Shortlisted candidates will be selected for online interviews, in the week commencing 9th December.

This sponsorship underscores the Bernhard Academy’s commitment to professional development and excellence in turf equipment management, offering technicians a chance to elevate their skills and gain international recognition. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit their applications promptly to take part in this extraordinary experience at one of golf’s most celebrated venues.

For further information on how to apply, please visit https://bernhardacademy.co.uk/tournamentvolunteer

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Reesink’s Master Service Technician award

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Reesink’s Master Service Technician award: David Creasy, first response technician for Reesink Turfcare’s Sheffield Park branch, has been awarded Master Service Technician status for completing one of the most stringent and comprehensive training courses in the industry.

Reesink UK’s Master Service Technician programme is specifically designed to provide the most thorough training for technicians, ensuring their skillset is updated and meets the demands of the industry’s continuous evolution. Advanced modules ranging from First Aid Safety Training to Advanced Sprayer Service are covered.

Reesink's Master Service Technician award

Reesink’s Master Service Technician award

So, what was it that appealed to David about undertaking the course? He says: “A huge proportion of our customers work for golf clubs that are in the top 100 courses in the UK and 89 of our contacts are Master Greenkeepers. Since 99 percent of my role is customer-facing, it was only ever going to be advantageous for me to have the highest level of training there is to give the best possible advice and service.”

David says when it comes to education and training in the industry, it has for many years favoured turf, with very little available to help support the use of machines and getting the best possible results from them.

He says: “I’ve been working in the industry since leaving college in 1998 and it’s always been important to me to be able to get additional qualifications, but I’ve found education and training for technicians and workshop mechanics and those in the maintenance and servicing side of the industry to be lagging behind the rest. When Reesink launched the Master Service Technician programme I just thought: “thank goodness for that” and applied! It’s really needed to help progression in the sector.

“So often these incredibly advanced and high technological machines just aren’t being used to their full capabilities. It’s given me great job satisfaction to know I can help make sure customers take full advantage of what the machines can do, keeping them in the best possible condition and making their job that much easier.”

The training fits in well around work requirements, explains David, who was on track to have completed the course over a year ago but COVID meant his final training modules had to be put on hold: “It’s an absolutely fantastic course, really thorough and well-rounded, taking everything to that next level. It’s well-arranged, with a mix of practical and theory work and a test at the end of every module.”

Lee Rowbotham, service manager at Reesink, says: “We designed this training to be flexible. It fits in around work requirements for participants and the fact that David confirms this to be the case proves the model is effective and bodes well for its longevity. It’s a huge achievement for David to become Reesink’s first Master Service Technician, he’s worked really hard and put in the extra work to achieve his goal.”

A lot of training and courses were put on hold in 2020 due to the pandemic, but Lee says there is renewed interest in uptake now with Reesink seeing training requests double each week: “There’s a lot of interest in training at the moment and it’s easy to understand why: the benefits it brings not just to the individual but for the customer too seem endless.”

Master Service Technician training is available to all those working in Reesink’s extensive dealer network. To find out more about this and the training course available from Reesink, one of the most comprehensive from a turfcare machinery and equipment distributor in the country, visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk/resources/training-courses

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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