college develops flexible technician program

Delhi College’s turf management program started in 1967. In the mid-1980s the curriculum was broadened to include golf course business operations, and by the late 1990s it was offering a four-year turf management degree. Today there are 70 students in the two-year program and 40 in the four-year program. 

The school also offers a technician program. While enrollment remained steady at 15 to 20 students, a few years ago these numbers began to decline.

“In our area,” professor Dom Morales says, “the typical 18-year- old went into auto mechanics or diesel engine repair. They didn’t see a golf course technician as a career path; they thought of it as lawnmowers. They didn’t realize the field is very technical, so we weren’t getting the students we needed.”

A focus group determined that the school needed to target older individuals wanting to change careers, or people already in the golf industry who wanted to add to their credentials. 

Delhi officials retooled the one-year certificate program to make it more user-friendly. For example, a three-credit, 45-hour sharpening and grinding course can be completed in one week, meeting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is offered in winter when regular classes are not in session. The following week there is a diagnostics course, so students can earn six college credits in two weeks. They can return during the college’s February recess for another course, and then pick up a welding course during spring break. A different set of courses is offered the following year.

“In theory,” Morales says, “students can earn a technician certificate in two years with minimal inconvenience to their career. Many superintendents have told us they would encourage their people to attend in winter, and some clubs are considering paying the tuition.” 

The Delhi technician program is in its first year, and Morales says it’s too early to gauge its effectiveness. In any case, the traditional program wasn’t working.

“Our New York State Turfgrass Association has been a tremendous supporter,” he says. “I look at our program as a way of filling the void for technicians and filling our program with students. It’s the perfect method for someone already working on a golf course who wants to move up and earn credentials. From a golf club’s standpoint, the investment in the student helps improve equipment maintenance and increase employee longevity.”