Industry training day for Reaseheath students -

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Reaseheath teams up with Bernhard Grinders for training days

Reaseheath College's horticulture staff and students were brought up to date with the latest turf grass technology during a training day with industry leader Bernhard Grinders.

The training day concentrated on the maintenance of turf machinery and featured presentations and demonstrations of precision cylinder and bottom blade grinding. The process sharpens the cylinder of grass cutting equipment to its optimum and maintains an appropriate angle of bottom blade.

Bernhard Grinders is a leader in the manufacture of turf grass machinery and is involved in tournament preparation and maintenance at 65% of the world's top golf courses. The company is a major supporter of research and education.

The training day, held on the college's campus in Nantwich, Cheshire, involved full time students attending a range of horticultural courses and staff from the horticulture services department, who maintain the colleges golf course, sports pitches and gardens.

A second session the following day offered the chance of Continuing Professional Development for those already working in the industry. Around 20 representatives from golf and football clubs, including former Reaseheath students, took advantage of the refresher training.

Both days were supported by the Greenkeeper Training Committee and were such a success that there are plans to make them an annual event.

Explained Reaseheath senior turf lecturer Gareth Phillips: "Our sports turf department takes every opportunity to work with leaders within the industry, ensuring that our students are fully up to date with the highest level of technology and with the latest innovations. This sort of training is essential for next generation turf grass technicians and forms an important part of their course."

Ben Taylor, International Training Manager for Bernhard Grinders, said: "This was an opportunity for, and well supported by, the Greenkeeping industry.  It was a chance for both students and employees to bridge any gaps in their knowledge.

"Maintenance of machinery is of prime importance, particularly in the running of premier tournaments. Reaseheath's students were very keen, asked a lot of questions and obviously knew a lot already about the subject."

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For further details contact Reaseheath's Press Officer Lynne Lomax on 07960 781658; lynnel@reaseheath.ac.uk

Reaseheath College students watch Ben Taylor demonstrate: the sharpening of a cutting cylinder from a Toro 3250-D greens mower using a Bernhard Grinders Express Dual 3000MC Cylinder Grinder.