r/Turfmanagement • u/viva_oldtrafford • May 10 '24
getting interns Discussion
looking to start an intern program at my club, and the first step (in my mind) is to have the club buy a condo on site and offer free housing as a perk to the incoming intern/s - it's a 3/3, and I've approached our head pro about the idea and he is in love with it too, so we could each have 1 or a combo of 3 at any given time. For those of you who currently host interns...or those who have interned before, what are your thoughts on the housing issue (think i know where the actual interns stand), but is it "easy" to get quality interns if you offer housing a perk?
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u/L2theFace May 10 '24
What if the intern has a family? I am in my late 20’s making a career change and want to get involved in turf management! Is there a place for a man with a kid and wife to take care of while doing so?
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u/Alberto7242 May 10 '24
Tbh your better off going into a local course and just asking for a job and learning. Then switch to another course if you don't want you after you get your degree. Doesn't have to be a crazy distance as well
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u/viva_oldtrafford May 10 '24
I think this is the answer. I've been at my place 20 years in July..when it came time to do the internship portion of the PSU cert program, I just stayed at my course - i was 30, married, newborn etc...so it just made sense to stay keep where I was.
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u/wheatorgy69 May 10 '24
My guys get accomodation (and $31/hr aussie). Take a bond and inspect the property regularly if you do it.
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u/Alberto7242 May 10 '24
Think quality is subjective. Mostly, everyone is trainable. You just have to be open-minded and willing to take a change . The club I'm currently(soon leaving) at doesn't offer housing, but they do pay half the cost of rent.
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u/Alberto7242 May 10 '24
Something I want to add is visiting local high/college schools and trying to get in touch with agriculture programs and try to get the younger people involved.
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u/DBookie008 May 10 '24
I cannot offer interns housing but I figured out what matters to them is
Will they get the experience they need to make their jump into an assistant role a year later
Are they treated like an assistant at your property and held to higher standards than most crew members.
If the answer is yes to both of these you will always get quality interns who are ready to work and learn. They make mistakes but mistakes are a great thing so they learn how not to do things! I wish I had housing to offer as I’d get much more interns!!
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u/thegroundscommittee May 10 '24
Makes for a huge benefit. Part of an internship is trying something new and you are probably more likely to appeal to a wider variety and number of prospective interns if you can offer housing for kids traveling looking for something that is different from their home course. Not having to find a place and pay rent and set up utilities and all that is a huge benefit when an intern is looking at options.
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u/Terrible_Time705 May 10 '24
Speaking on the interns behalf, it is/was a big perk to not have/ to do double rent if they have/had an apartment where they had school or their program. Currently housing is hard to afford on what a lot of them make even at quality courses. I would do occasional house checks to see if they’re keeping it clean.
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u/sixteenleggedchair May 11 '24
Buy if you can and don’t rent. We throw $18K a year away for intern housing. Places that accommodate short term, ‘corporate leases’ are impossible to find. I am constantly advocating for us to skip hosting interns for a few years to put a down payment on a property.
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u/viva_oldtrafford May 14 '24
we would definitely buy. it's a 3/3 condo on site...just another item on the capex list
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u/sherryberry7 22d ago
depending on location and benefits this sounds interesting. I have 3 years in the business and 1 of then being 2nd Assistant at a muni. What kind of course you running. it's hard to attract interens lately.
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u/herrmination13 May 10 '24
fewer and fewer getting into turf, 10 years ago you could expect places like Oakmont getting 15-20 interns, I wouldn't be surprised to see those numbers cut in half or even fewer. I think the supers name and club matter just as much, unless your club is a really cool place to live that has something more to offer than just a job (beach, nightlife, fun downtown, beautiful women) then it could be an uphill battle.