LEVEL SYSTEM
(EELS)
The European Education Level System (EELS) was developed to ensure that a Member Country PGA could be recognised for its education against agreed standards, in turn reflecting the needs of the golf market.
EELS has three levels spanning the three domains of teaching and coaching, the game and the industry: ‘PGA Professional Level’, ‘PGA Coach Level’, and the ‘IPE Level’.
Member Country PGA Current Levels
PGA Qualified Professional Education Programme
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- Finland
- Holland
- Iceland
- Italy
- Poland
- Switzerland
PGA Qualified Coach Education Programme
- Hungary
- Portugal
- Slovenia
PGA Initial Professional Education Programme
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Greece
- Israel
- Lithuania
- Malta
- Russia
- Serbia
- Slovakia (Czech Republic Programme)
Awaiting Recognition
- Armenia
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Chile
- Georgia
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Moldova
- Nigeria
- Portugal
- Ukraine
Background
In 2009, the Confederation of Professional Golf embarked on a radical change to its recognition of professional education programmes. As a result, the European Education Level System (EELS) was developed to ensure that a country could be recognised for its education against agreed standards, which in turn reflect the needs of the golf market.
The European Union funded Golf Stand project was used as a launchpad document. Golf Stand had brought together representatives from across the sector, national federations, PGAs, club managers, golf course owners, greenkeepers, training providers and qualifications authorities to produce this definitive work.
EELS has three levels spanning the three domains of teaching and coaching, the game and the industry. The system allows programmes to map against 72 agreed Learning Outcomes (LOs). The number and areas in which these LOs are met determine what level of recognition their programme achieves, with the ‘PGA Professional Level’ meeting all 72 LOs, the ‘PGA Coach Level’ meeting 38 specific LOs, and the ‘IPE Level’ meeting all 13 IPE-specific LOs.
Of the many benefits that EELS offers, one significant advantage is that the Learning Outcomes are written in a way that allows education providers to easily understand what is required, and governments to clearly recognise what successful trainees are able to know and do, so making transference of qualifications easier.
