CMM CREATES NEW CAREER PATHWAY FOR GOLF GRADUATES

• Graduate programme is first of its kind for the UK golf industry
• Free-to-use service for candidates and employers
• Backing of the key trade associations and leading employers

SUNNINGHILL, BERKSHIRE, UK – Talented candidates who successfully graduate from UK universities and colleges now have an exciting new pathway to a career in the global golf industry.

The new Graduate Programme from Colt Mackenzie McNair (CMM), the leading executive recruitment specialist working in the golf markets of Europe, Middle East and Asia, is the first of its kind in the UK and provides a bespoke service for the brightest new talent.

“Our new professional graduate programme will enable us to increase the amount of highly-qualified individuals entering the UK golf industry each year” said Richard Wood, Director of Colt Mackenzie McNair. “Early responses from the industry have been overwhelmingly positive, and we expect it to become a key part of the recruitment process for many UK employers”.

CMM’s specialist consultants have built relationships with all of the recognised educational establishments which offer specialist degree courses designed to prepare graduates for a career in the golf industry.

The initiative, which is free for both graduates and employers, offers the industry’s future stars an opportunity to find their ideal first placement within many different sectors. This will include golf management & operations; sales, digital marketing; turfcare; hospitality & events; manufacturing; coaching and retail.

Potential employers can use the CMM Graduate Programme to access the best talent for their graduate positions, internships, student placements and work experience staff, and will also have the ability to access the alumni talent pool who already have industry experience.

“The last decade has seen a significant increase in the number of graduates studying specialist degree courses in the golf, sports and hospitality industries” said Adam Keable, Programme Director at Colt Mackenzie McNair. “However, this is something upon which the golf industry has been slow to act, and some of the brightest talents have been lost to other industries.

“CMM's objective is simple: we want to establish the golf industry as a career destination of choice for high-calibre graduates. So if you are an employer seeking to bring new talent into your organisation, our Graduate Programme represents a wonderful opportunity for you to access a pool of bright young people who could transform your business.

“If you will soon be graduating or have recently graduated, the CMM Graduate Programme aims to support your journey into the golf industry, giving you a variety of career opportunities and advice.”

Many of the industry’s leading companies and trade associations have already given the CMM Graduate Programme their support, including Topgolf, The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), the Golf Club Managers’ Association (GCMA), the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE), England Golf, Trump International, Burhill Group Limited (BGL), Crown Golf and Your Golf Travel.

“Any programme that can offer graduates guidance and a platform from which to take the correct steps during the start of their career is obviously of significant value” said Colin Mayes, Chief Executive Officer, Burhill Group Ltd (BGL). “As a major employer in the golf industry, having access to such a pool of high-calibre graduate candidates is hugely beneficial, and should improve our recruitment process”.

CMM has partnered with core universities and colleges across the UK such as the University of Birmingham, Bournemouth University, Myerscough College (Preston), the University of the Highlands & Islands, Bucks New University and Merrist Wood College – all of which offer golf-related degree courses. The CMM Graduate Programme also looks to attract skilled individuals from wider university courses ensuring that a rich and diverse talent pool is accessible to employers.

“Arguably, each year the UK produces the richest crop of talented golf graduates to be found anywhere in Europe” said Richard Wood. “Our new Graduate Programme is a boost not only for graduates, but also for employers seeking to recruit the very best”.

To find out more, contact Adam Keable at Colt Mackenzie McNair or see further details at http://www.coltmm.com/graduate-programme/.

Ends.

Adam Keable, Graduate Programme Director, Colt Mackenzie McNair / akeable@coltmm.com

About Colt Mackenzie McNair (CMM)

www.coltmm.com

CMM is a specialist executive search firm which operates exclusively in the golf industry, with an established reputation in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Now a global market leader in its field, CMM’s dedicated team of senior recruitment consultants and researchers understand the key dynamics of the golf business, bringing a comprehensive range of skills and experience from the modern golfing world, and unbeatable industry contacts, to the search process.

"The golf industry has a huge amount of committee-led businesses at its heart, be they golf clubs themselves or the many associations which govern and support the game. It is vital that these businesses are managed by competent and qualified personnel with industry specific knowledge. I am delighted that Colt Mackenzie McNair has seen fit to introduce a Graduate Programme which will ensure that such personnel are given an excellent opportunity to progress into the industry."

JIM CROXTON: Chief Executive, BIGGA (British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association)

“We support this initiative from CMM, and we plan to be fully involved in it in 2015. It makes good business sense to employ graduates and to bring them through the ranks. The fact that the Graduate Programme has the potential to help us access highly skilled new employees makes it a winner for Topgolf”.

PAUL WILLIAMS: Director of Golf, Topgolf

“Golf club management is currently in an exciting transition period as more people enter the profession from university, seeing a good career path and opportunity in this sector. Education and Continuing Professional Development are a key to success both for club managers and their golf clubs. Both aspects are a central part of the GCMA mission, delivered by both the GCMA Head Office and our regional organisations. It is therefore gratifying to see a Strategic Business Partner also recognise these benefits, offering graduates a clear and managed route into a very exciting leisure industry. At GCMA we look forward to seeing the benefits which the CMM Graduate Programme will bring to the industry, helping to further professionalise the role”.

BOB WILLIAMS: CEO, GCMA (Golf Club Managers Association)

“The CMAE is excited by the prospect of Colt Mackenzie McNair’s new Graduate Programme. We are always interested in welcoming new people into the club management industry, especially those who view it as a career for life. I am sure that many of our member clubs will welcome the new graduates which the Programme will produce, and that they will view the CMM Graduate Programme as a valuable new recruiting tool.”

MIKE BRAIDWOOD: Director of Education, CMAE (Club Managers Association of Europe)

“Crown Golf are delighted to support CMM’s new Graduate Programme. The future success of the golf industry will only be guaranteed if we are able to harness the talents of bright, young, dynamic leaders, with the vision and skills necessary to transform our business, and the passion to see it through. The best graduates are already highly sought-after across the hospitality and service sector. We need to make a career in the golf industry attractive to them and inspire them to achieve by providing a clear path to their personal and business success. The CMM Graduate Programme is a great first step on this journey.”

STEPHEN TOWERS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CROWN GOLF

“Whether you need graduates, placements or work experience, CMM's Graduate Programme allows you to access to top candidates in Golf and related industries. It is a clear opportunity which will offer a competitive edge to any business”.

DR ANDREW CALLAWAY, BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY

“The CMM Graduate Programme will give candidates the opportunity to showcase their industry qualifications directly to prospective employers. With recruitment being such a key part of a manager’s role, it is important to get it right first time. Having some of the brightest graduates being assisted by CMM and providing them with a pathway to their ideal job, the efficiency and success of recruitment and employment will undoubtedly increase. The industry is hungry for the enthusiasm and passion of graduates, and I believe the new CMM Graduate Programme will ensure that their energy is not wasted by being stuck in the wrong job at the wrong club. Working in the golf industry abroad is a step into the unknown. However, CMM are experts in their field, and they have the experience to pass on to graduates exactly what it is like to work in the global marketplace. By sharing their experience with graduates, it will allow those who wish to test themselves overseas to have the best possible chance not only to succeed in their new role, but also to settle into their new life”.

NICK SOLSKI: Fellow of The PGA of GB & Ireland, and Director of Golf at Skolkovo Golf, Moscow

WHAT ARE OVERSEAS EMPLOYERS LOOKING FOR?

A view from a British golf industry executive working abroad...

“International positions within the Golf and Leisure industry allow people the chance to meet and often serve a very diverse demographic of customers. The qualifications for you to do the job are a given – these are required in any field and if you look at some of the Middle East countries, the “entry” requirement has been increased in recent years for all expats so proven qualifications are essential. “CMM’s new Graduate Programme can potentially play an important role in helping graduates find work as British expats in some of the more exotic corners of the golf industry. “Attitude is the key, in my role I am looking for graduates willing to join teams with a “can do” spirit. As we develop projects in emerging markets around the world you must keep the end in mind and keep the daily focus on changing what you can change and managing what you can’t change! The people that reap the most from international employment are generally those who show the persistence in adhering to task in hand and are willing to “give” to the team around them in terms of training and developing the national work force. “Having worked in countries like Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Russia and now Azerbaijan, Leisure is not seen as traditional employment, so in your role you have the unique and responsible position to help shape these people’s careers. Reflecting on 14 years of building and operating Golf Clubs overseas I can honestly say that has been the most rewarding part of the journey so far!”

PHIL JONES: General Manager, Dreamland GC, Baku Azerbaijan