As part of its mission to provide a positive perception of golf to young people, The Golf Foundation hosted two Careers in Golf workshops in Gainsborough last week with the help of DP World Tour and education company Navigate, focused on showcasing the wide variety of employment opportunities in golf for young people.
A group of year 10 and 11 students from Gainsborough Academy were invited to participate in the workshops, hosted at Thonock Golf Club and delivered in partnership with PING.
PING are one of the biggest employers in Gainsborough and in the global golf industry, so it was a great opportunity for students to help consider their next steps after school, and to understand the opportunities that golf can offer.
“It was an absolute pleasure for us to be involved in delivering these sessions,” said Dave Fanning, Head of Marketing at PING. “It’s fair to say this would not have happened without the support of the Golf Foundation, DP World Tour, Navigate and the team at Gainsborough Academy. It was great to share who PING is with the students and open their eyes to a wide array of roles within the golf industry and that you don’t have to be a golfer to work within and organisation like PING and Thonock Park.”
On day one, students were introduced to the many roles that golf tournaments offer, while day two focused more on the wider opportunities within the sport, as well as focusing on the importance of developing fundamental skills, whatever employment journey students are planning.
Senior Managers from PING were on hand both days, too, not just to talk about working for the golfing giant, and the incredible opportunities that sit on the students’ doorstep, but also to give free coaching tips on the driving range, with three of their PGA professional coaches on hand to deliver some sessions.
“Today has really got me thinking about my choices after The Gainsborough Academy,” said one student after the two day event. “I didn’t realise what could be on offer for me. I really enjoyed the driving range too!”
The workshops are part of a wider careers programme being developed by the GB&I Golf Forum, which aims to attract more diversity into the diverse range of jobs across the golf industry, and has appointed a Programme Manager to deliver a number of initiatives under the banner of Careers in Golf.
The GB&I Golf Forum is a collaboration of leading golf organisations from across GB&I. The CEOs and Senior Executives meet regularly, with a commitment to working together openly and productively on shared priorities for the benefit of golf industry.
“This was a fantastic event to showcase the new Careers in Golf programme run by the Golf Forum,” added Jack Cole, programme manager for the project. “A huge thank you to Gainsborough Academy and PING who committed their time to this project, and I hope that the pupils were able to see the plethora of careers available in the golf industry as a whole. As the Programme Manager I look forward to running similar events in schools up and down the country throughout 2024, showcasing the diverse and exciting careers that are available to all in the world of Golf.”
“It has been an amazing experience to connect and build a relationship with one of our major international employers within Gainsborough,” added Alison Bolton, Deputy Head Teacher at Gainsborough Academy. “Our partnership with Ping is supporting and challenging our students to raise their aspirations for what they may achieve in their career in the future. Ping Europe are a joy to work with and our students have engaged and been real ambassadors for our school. We are Proud to be TGA.”