Forty school pupils from Gainsborough Academy spent a day at Thonock Park Golf Club getting into the swing of career opportunities in the world of golf.

The event was co-organised by the Careers Hub at the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership which matches local businesses with schools to raise career aspirations.

Four international organisations – PING Ltd, DP World Tour, Navigate and The Golf Foundation – staged the event to open the eyes of year 10 and year 11 students to the many career opportunities golf has to offer.

The event aimed to raise students’ aspirations and offer a better understanding of careers in golf, particularly in Gainsborough where golf club manufacturer PING is such a prominent employer.

The students heard talks from various individuals highlighting different careers in the sport. They also took part in a session on how to create their own sporting event and an interactive session by The Golf Foundation about mental toughness.

Afterwards the students commented on how beneficial the interactions had been, especially when it came to raising their confidence and improving their knowledge of what could be possible if they work hard.

Alison Boulton, Assistant Head Teacher at Gainsborough Academy, said: “It has been an amazing experience to connect and build a relationship with one of our major international employers within Gainsborough.

“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.”

Dave Fanning, European Marketing Director at PING, said: “It was an absolute pleasure for PING to be involved in delivering two careers in golf sessions to the students from Gainsborough Academy.  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 to let them know that you don’t have to be a golfer to work within an organisation like PING and Thonock Park.”

Brandon Pyle, CEO of The Golf Foundation, said: “Hopefully, with the help of the DP World Tour, Navigate and the Golf Foundation, the year 10 and 11 students have been given a valuable insight into the broad variety of careers in golf as well as on their doorstep through one of the world’s biggest club manufacturers. 

“I firmly believe that this is just the start of a strong local partnership between Gainsborough Academy and PING, given the support of Dave Fanning and his team at PING as well as Head Teacher Rachael Skelton and her Senior Leadership Team at Gainsborough Academy.”

The partnership between PING and The Gainsborough Academy is just in its infancy, but it is hoped that the school will be able to visit PING for a tour of the facility in Gainsborough soon. The partnership also offers the possibility of work experience placements in the future.

The Careers Hub at the Greater Lincolnshire LEP connected the organisations to enable the event to go ahead.