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Given the highly precise and specialised nature of this sector, industry have expressed a need for more detailed and in-depth training and assessment. Cultivating and maintaining sports turf requires input from a team, and skills are needed at all levels – including volunteers, apprentices, tradespeople, managers and consultants. Thanks to the contributions of industry experts, the qualifications in sports turf management have been strengthened to reflect current job roles and practices.“As a result of this process the Western Australian Turf Industry now possesses a greatly increased optimism towards the future of Sports Turf Management and the improved level of quality trained turf managers emerging to meet the industry’s challenges.” Tony Guy, President, Sports Turf Association WAThe qualifications and skills standards were approved by the Amenity Horticulture, Landscaping, Conservation & Land Management Industry Reference Committee (IRC) and endorsed by the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC), at their meeting on 9 October 2019.They are published on the training.gov.au website, within the AHC Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package. They are available for use by registered training organisations (RTOs). RTOs can find information to help them adopt to the new changes in the Companion Volume, which provides additional information about the impacts of regulation and licensing implications and workplace health and safety on their training.

Key Outcomes

• Certificate II in Sports Turf Management reduced from 13 to 8 units (5 core and 3 elective) and revised to be more focused on practical skills, with the aim of encouraging use in a VET in Schools programs.
• Certificate III in Sports Turf Management increased from 16 to 23 units (18 core and 5 electives) revised to reflect the breadth and depth of skills and knowledge required to work across a range of subsectors.
• Diploma of in Sports Turf Management increased from 10 to 14 units (10 core and 4 electives) and revised to reflect the increased complexity of management and consulting roles in the industry.
• Seventeen existing units revised
• One new unit AHCTRF306 Prepare sports turf surfaces for play developed
• Three new skill sets developed in areas relating to business skills, sports turf volunteers, and technical skills.
• One qualification AHC40816 Certificate IV in Sports Turf Management proposed for deletion as industry feedback suggests it does not reflect current job roles.

Summary of consultation

Consultation has taken place with stakeholders across Australia, including representatives from various sub-sectors of the sports turf management industry, along with registered training organisations and Government bodies. The broader industry was consulted on the draft documents at two different stages – the ‘Drafts Available’ and ‘Validation’ stages. A description of how feedback was considered can be downloaded below.During these stages stakeholders provided feedback via face-to-face or webinar workshops, email, telephone or online surveys, and/or forwarded project information on to their networks.The ‘Finalisation’ stage includes the development and publishing of a validation summary for each project. A summary of feedback and how it has been considered and applied at each stage can be downloaded below.Please find below links to the final documents, that are published on the training.gov.au website. Click here to download the Case for EndorsementNote that this Case for Endorsement also includes units, skill sets and qualifications that have been developed as part of the Horticulture Technology Project, the Carbon & Agribusiness Management Project, and the Viticulture Project.