𝐌𝐒𝐘𝐀 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐍𝐓𝐀
The Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs (MSYA), in partnership with the National Training Agency (NTA), has launched its Principles of Groundsmanship Programme at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba.
The 10-day pilot programme, scheduled for September 14–25, 2026, will equip participants with the technical knowledge and practical competencies required to maintain and improve sporting grounds and facilities across Trinidad and Tobago. A similar programme is also expected to be launched in Tobago in the coming days.
Aligned with National and Regional Occupational Standards, the programme provides training towards a Certificate of Competency at TTNVQ Level 1. Participants will receive instruction in turfgrass management, mowing, irrigation, fertilisation, pest and disease management, equipment operation and maintenance, safety practices, and the preparation of sporting fields for competition.
Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, the Honourable Phillip Watts, said the initiative recognises the essential role that ground staff play in the development of sport.
“Great sport begins long before the first whistle is blown, the first ball is bowled, or the first athlete steps onto the field. It begins with the people who prepare the spaces where dreams are pursued,” Minister Watts said.
He added: “This programme represents an investment not only in fields and facilities, but in people. It creates a pathway for participants to develop practical skills, gain certification, access employment opportunities and contribute meaningfully to the sporting landscape of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Minister Watts also underscored the value of collaboration in delivering sustainable sport-development initiatives across both islands.
“The Ministry cannot do it alone. We must work in partnership with our agencies, national sporting organisations, local government bodies, educational institutions, corporate Trinidad and Tobago and community groups,” he said. “This Groundsmanship Programme is an example of what such collaboration can achieve, connecting sport development with skills training, employment, facility management, entrepreneurship and community upliftment.”
Chairman of the National Training Agency, Mr. Chandar Gupta Supersad, welcomed the partnership with the Ministry, noting that the NTA’s occupational standards will help ensure the quality and relevance of the training offered.
“The National Training Agency is really pleased to partner with the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs on this project. The NTA has these occupational standards which will measure and determine what is being taught,” Mr. Supersad said.
He explained that successful participants can progress from a Trinidad and Tobago National Vocational Qualification to a Caribbean Vocational Qualification.
“If you get a Caribbean Vocational Qualification, you have the opportunity to travel, get a skilled certificate and work in other islands,” he added.
Technical Director, Division of Youth Empowerment and Sport – Tobago, Mr. Sean Aberdeen, highlighted the programme’s importance to Tobago’s sport-tourism ambitions.
“Sports tourism is a major focus of the Tobago House of Assembly and the Division of Youth Empowerment and Sport, and you can’t have that without quality grounds,” Mr. Aberdeen said. “Having persons trained and up-skilled with the capacity to really deliver on high-quality surfaces is very important.”
Sports Field Curator at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Mr. Ramnath Persad, also stressed the relationship between quality playing surfaces and athlete performance.
“Wherever there is a green space, a green surface, a groundsman will be efficient and will be usable there,” Mr. Persad said. “If we have proper facilities that can meet that standard, then we are halfway there. We have talent, we have the skill, but we need to get to where we have the surface for the players to produce the best that they can.”
The programme combines theoretical and practical training, with emphasis on cricket pitch and outfield maintenance, turfgrass care, soil management, safety and the preparation of sporting facilities for competition.
Registration opens on September 8, 2026, with training scheduled to begin on September 14, 2026. The pilot will be assessed upon completion to guide potential expansion to other locations throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
Also in attendance were Deputy Permanent Secretary (Ag.) Ms. Satie Jamraj; Director (Ag.), Physical Education and Sport Division, Mr. Ronson Hackshaw; Chief Executive Officer of the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT), Mr. Ryan Sebastien; Deputy Chairman, Mr. Kern Dass; President of the NESC Technical Institute (NESC-TI), Mr. Altaf Baksh, who also serves as 1st Vice President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB); and former West Indies and national cricketer, Mr. Mervyn Dillon.
