Get an inside look into the NYSTA Apprenticeship Program from former student and industry pioneer, Ryan Bain.   Ryan is an Assistant Golf Course Superintendent at Noyac Golf Club in Long Island, New York. As someone who entered the golf industry with no formal experience, Ryan became a huge proponent of the New York State Turfgrass Association’s (NYSTA) Apprenticeship Program – a mutually beneficial program for an industry struggling to find qualified talent and candidates who need a foot in the door.  Prior to embarking on his golf industry career, Ryan earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing, with the aspiration to work for Major League Baseball. After graduating and trying a stint in insurance and then landscaping, Ryan was at a crossroads in his career. Discovering he could combine his love of sports with the joys of working outdoors, Ryan pivoted to applying to golf courses, as he realized there was more room for growth in this field.  In this episode, Ryan Bain shares his experience as the first NYSTA apprentice and how he got his breakthrough into this industry.  It’s Never Too Late to Make a Change As a college graduate, many people feel tied to the degree they earned. However, once entering the “real world,” you might realize that your destined path isn’t the right fit for you. Exploring your interests can often lead you to new paths and connections. Even if you don’t have textbook qualifications, a true interest and passion for the golf industry can go far. Oftentimes, you may find new opportunities, like in Ryan’s case an up-and-coming apprenticeship program, that will get you the knowledge you need and lead you in the right direction. Learning Requires Doing and Studying What makes an apprenticeship program so enticing is that it gives aspiring superintendents a chance to learn the how and why behind what they do. Ryan got the hands-on experience of working at a golf course coupled with the education to put his work into perspective. By maintaining a balance of work and study, you can get more out of your program. The key is good time management and a desire to succeed. It Is a Small World After All When entering a new industry, you might feel like a small fish in a big pond. With the world of golf, you soon realize just how tight knit and connected the industry actually is. In reality, you are only two or three degrees of separation from many of the greats and big kahunas in golf.  By introducing yourself and connecting with others, you can quickly accelerate as a professional in the field. It’s also a great way to learn and meet new people. Enjoy this episode with Assistant Golf Course Superintendent, Ryan Bain… Soundbytes 6:09-6:36 “It kind of just clicked in my head at one point that this route is gonna kind of give me everything I'm looking for, it's gonna give me the sports background, it's gonna give me an outside work environment where I'm not sitting at a desk in an office for 10 hours a day. It was really, it was exactly what I was looking for. It just took myself processing that and understanding that to take that leap and do it.” 8:03-8:17 “I see applications come in. Some of them are completely unqualified, but some of them are just young people that are looking for a job, they're not necessarily looking for a career, they may not even know that they can make a career out of this.”   Quotes  “I did not understand quite how connected the whole industry was. The industry is so so much smaller than you think it is from the outside.” “If a company, a golf course, or anyone is thinking of getting somebody into this program, they're only going to get a better employee back from it.” “I found myself kind of at a standstill career wise, I didn't think I was gonna have too much of a higher ceiling than where I was at if I stayed doing that.” “Most of the time, I'd find employers don't even follow up.”   Links mentioned in t