I recently read with interest the latest disturbing news on the job situation in the UK in The Telegraph, that UK unemployment is to ‘rise above pandemic high within months’.

The piece said that unemployment hit 5.2pc at the end of 2025 with the rate amongst those aged between 16 and 24 rising to 16.1pc, its highest level in more than a decade.

With these statistics, it’s no wonder our own grounds industry is finding it difficult to recruit new blood.  After speaking to several businesses, contractors and people who work in our diverse grounds industry, they have made it quite clear to me that we are facing difficult times. 

So, what are the factors that are causing this downturn in recruitment?  

There’s no single cause, but a cluster of cultural, economic, and structural issues that make it harder to attract young people into the UK grounds industry. When you look at them together, the picture becomes clearer.

Here’s a breakdown that captures what many employers, colleges, and industry bodies have been reporting.
We still have a low visibility and outdated perceptions. Most young people don’t actually know what the grounds industry is - they imagine “mowing grass” rather than sportsturf science, machinery tech, ecology, or event management.

Schools rarely promote land-based careers unless a student is already interested.

Compared with trades like plumbing or electrics, grounds work isn’t seen as a “career with status”.

Pay and conditions have been a stumbling block. Entry-level wages in groundskeeping often lag other technical or outdoor roles. Young people compare it with construction, utilities, or logistics, which offer higher starting salaries and clearer progression.

Young people can earn more driving a white van or stacking supermarket shelves. I believe that they also have a limited understanding of progression routes.

The industry does have pathways (apprenticeships, Level 2–4 qualifications, specialist turf science roles), but they’re not widely advertised.

Many young people also think it’s a “dead end job” because they don’t see examples of career progression. It seems one of the biggest deterrents is that our work is generally outdoors with seasonal and physical work, demanding early starts, weekends and evening working. Not your usual 9-5 hour working week. 

Our industry also competes with jobs that offer more flexibility and comfort.

We also face tough competition from more “modern” sectors, like big tech, digital marketing, gaming, and creative industries. These attract young people because they feel more aligned with their identity and interests.

Grounds roles don’t always highlight the tech side - GPS-guided mowers, data-driven turf management, environmental monitoring - even though it’s there.

There is also a lack of structured recruitment pipelines. Many clubs, councils, and private grounds teams rely on word-of-mouth hiring. Without strong links to schools, colleges, and job centres, young people simply don’t encounter the opportunities.

Also, the youth of today have a different mentality when it comes work life balances, environmental impacts, clear development plans and inclusive workplaces.

Our grounds industry can offer these but doesn’t always communicate it well.

For me personally - and I have mentioned it many times before - but we need a new strategic pathway to entice the next generation into our diverse world of turf culture. We need to be better at promoting the skill sets required of a turf professional.

A turf professional in the UK requires a blend of horticultural science, turf management expertise, machinery competence, and regulatory compliance knowledge. The skill set varies slightly depending on whether they work in football, cricket, rugby, golf, schools, or local authorities, but core competencies are consistent.

They involve having an underpinning knowledge of the following: 

• Turfgrass science & agronomy
• Machinery operation & maintenance
• Surface preparation & sports-specific ,arking
• Health, safety & compliance
• Environmental & sustainability practices
• Planning, budgeting & record-keeping
• Soft skills & professional conduct in communication with others.

As mentioned on numerous occasions, I feel we require several national campaigns to promote our sector in schools, colleges and universities. We need more coverage on national TV, radio and in newspapers and magazines. 

We need head grounds staff who work at high profile sports facilities to be featured on national TV when a major sporting fixture is being played - ideally as part of the buildup to a game. The TV pundits should be interviewing the head grounds person for comments on how they have prepared the pitch, explaining the science behind preparing these facilities for a top level game.  These top grounds professionals such as the likes of Karl McDermott (Lord’s) Neil Stubley (Wimbledon), John Ledwidge (Man City FC) - in fact all the Premiership grounds staff - should be regularly featured to talk about their role and how they prepare their surfaces. 

And more Importantly they and their staff should be handsomely rewarded for their work. I just find it amazing that the FA, FIFA and other international sporting bodies are prepared to pay the players astronomical wages, yet many of the people responsible for providing these facilities 24 /7 are often paid a minimum wage. 

The whole saga of poor wages, poor working conditions and the missconception of what our skill sets are, have being going on for many years. Even with the goodwill of many singular organisations such as the GMA, BIGGA, and sporting governing bodies, we are still an industry that is not really recognised for the work we undertake. 

Again, as mentioned before, it is now time for all our trade associations, governing bodies and major manufacturers to finally come together to achieve a way forward, rather than working in isolation.

We need a national campaign to go to all schools nationwide, to entice them to come into the industry via a new apprenticeship / academy scheme that sees 5,000 enter per year, for the next five years. That’s a total of 25,000 being introduced and given the opportunity to come and work in our industry. 

This two-year scheme should be paid for in full, with wages and training costs covered. The student will then complete four work placements at agreed workplaces. For example, a golf course, football club, local authority, or manufacturer perhaps,  where they gain experience and get appropriate education via the local college. 

Once completed they will receive a given apprenticeship qualification and hopefully be rewarded with an opportunity to start a career in our industry. The government currently have £3.5 billion waiting to be invested in apprenticeship-type schemes like this. All it requires is the right people to negotiate and make a scheme like this happen. 

Let’s hope for the sake of our industry that it happens soon.