PGA promotes industry employment in 12th Annual Jobs in Golf Month

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – As the national job market continues to show signs of recovery, The PGA of America’s 12th Annual Jobs in Golf Month - which highlights online employment resource tools and a breadth of jobs within the $68 billion industry - will kick off in conjunction with the 60th PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 24-26, and continue promoting employment in golf throughout the month of February.

PGA.com/employment, home to PGA Employment Services, is the centerpiece of the Jobs in Golf Month initiative, and serves as the golf industry’s online resource for jobs. In support of Jobs in Golf Month, PGA Employment Services is ramping up its available resources to ensure that PGA members, golf industry employers and individuals seeking employment within the golf industry have the tools necessary to maximize their career opportunities. 

Building on the success of its previous campaigns at the PGA Merchandise Show, PGA Employment Services will be an invaluable resource for promoting jobs within the golf industry, while also serving as a solution that matches job applicants with potential employers by highlighting job opportunities that are currently posted on PGAJobfinder. The Jobs in Golf Month initiative at the PGA Merchandise Show includes recruitment services by leading industry employers; golf-related job posting boards; on-site interviewing for industry positions; employment workshops; and comprehensive PGA Employment Services.  

 “Jobs in Golf Month is an important initiative that serves to highlight The PGA of America’s commitment to working closely with our Professionals and golf industry employers to more efficiently align candidates with job opportunities that match their skill sets,” said PGA President Ted Bishop. “The golf industry supports nearly 2 million jobs in the United States and more than $55 billion in wage income, and PGA Employment Services is a leading resource for all jobs in golf, from General Managers and PGA head professionals to starters and sales positions.”

PGA Employment Services was developed to serve as the golf industry’s hiring resource and a support mechanism to help ensure the 27,000 men and women PGA Professionals have the necessary tools to secure employment. In addition to serving as a vehicle for PGA Professionals, PGA Employment Services offers a direct communication link between golf industry employers and individuals seeking to gain employment in the golf industry.

PGA Employment Services is supported by 12 regional PGA Employment Consultants based throughout the country. These Employment Consultants serve as an invaluable resource for both PGA members and golf industry employers, working tirelessly to match applicants with appropriate employers who are seeking to hire talented and dynamic PGA Professionals. These Employment Consultants are also charged with further educating employers on the unmatched benefits of hiring a PGA Professional.

Employment-related education seminars are also being featured at the PGA Member Business Center, and will be led by the PGA Employment Consultants. Some of the featured seminar topics include: “Staff Training - Enhance Team Performance,” “Sales and Service Training - Create a Welcoming Environment,” “Grow Your Value Starting NOW - A Game Plan for Success,” and “Utilizing PGA Resources - Your Competitive Edge,” among others.

While The PGA of America offers additional resources to promote Jobs in Golf Month and the benefits of hiring PGA Professionals throughout February, the Association’s expansive PGA Employment Services division—which caters to PGA Professionals, golf industry employers and individuals seeking a position within the golf industry—serves as an invaluable resource throughout the year. 

Among the many service options from the PGA Employment Center is CareerLinks, a complimentary employment referral service that enables PGA Employment Consultants to provide support to employers and PGA Professionals nationwide. With this service, PGA Employment Consultants help employers identify the skills and experiences that are necessary to perform a specific job, and then enter the search specifications into the CareerLinks database to identify qualified PGA candidates. This unique service continues to grow, as 575 positions were filled through CareerLinks in 2012—representing a solid 22 percent year-over-year increase.

Other employment services include PGA Jobfinder, an online tool located at www.PGA.com/employment, which helps golf industry employers fill a variety of golf industry positions from PGA Teaching Professionals to Clubhouse Staff to Manufacturer’s Sales Representatives. The PGA also retains the services of a wage-and-hour consultant to help PGA Professionals and employers interpret labor laws and wage-and-hour information. Over the past year, more than 3,300 jobs for PGA Professional positions were posted on PGALinks.com and nearly 2,200 positions were also listed on the public job board on PGA.com—an increase of nearly 300 PGA-oriented job postings and a boost of an additional 300 industry positions respectively.