About the qualification

The National Certificate in Sports Turf (Introduction to Turf Care) Level 3 provides an ideal introduction to turf care. Compulsory or core units of the qualification cover essential turf management knowledge applicable to all turf areas. These include:

• Mowing management
• Planning a fertiliser program
• Identifying turf pests, weeds and diseases
• Soil water and irrigation management

The remainder of the qualification is made up of options or 'electives'. These cover a wide range of topics including specialised turf management requirements applicable to a particular sport (eg Cricket pitches and outfields or bowling greens).

Achieving the qualification with the NZ Sports Turf ITO

Flexible delivery options provide a range of methods of achieving this qualification to suit different individuals and work places. These include;

• Regionally based seminars

Here the qualification is achieved through attending a series of regionally based seminars plus additional assessment tasks. These are run by the NZ Sports Turf Institute, generally involving six to eight days of seminars spread over about a year. Interactive discussion and 'hands-on' demonstration with leading industry experts make this an excellent learning opportunity. These training seminars may be specially designed for a particular sector of the industry. Trainees completing the qualification by this means do not require access to a qualified turf manager.

• Correspondence and workplace based training and/or block courses

This qualification may also be completed by various combinations of correspondence, workplace assessment and block courses. We can advise you on the best combination of training tailored to your needs.

All units achieved in the National Certificate in Sports Turf (Introduction to Turf Care) Level 3 can be credited towards the more advanced National Certificate in Sports Turf Management (Level 4) .

Who is it for?

This qualification is ideal for people who need a grasp of turf management theory but do not necessarily require the broad practical skills training of the National Certificate in Sports Turf Management (Level 4), or seek training with a particular sports turf sector focus. This might include:

• People starting out in the turf industry
• Turf industry commercial representatives
• School grounds persons
• Bowls greenkeepers
• Cricket pitch and sports field managers
• Contractors and staff
• Part time turf managers and volunteers
• Trainees without access to a qualified turf manager
• Council supervisory staff overseeing contracts (Parks Officers)