A total of
48 young service technicians have formally graduated from the latest John Deere
Ag Tech, Parts Tech and Turf Tech advanced apprenticeship programmes, run in
partnership with national training provider ProVQ.
John Deere
hosted its annual apprentice graduation ceremony earlier this year in Germany,
with the apprentices visiting the company’s cab factory and European Parts
Distribution Centre in Bruchsal before being presented with their awards at the
John Deere Forum in Mannheim.
Four of
the company’s apprentices won overall awards for the 2017 graduation year. Ewan
Edwards of dealer RBM Agricultural Ltd, Louth was named Ag Tech Apprentice of
the Year, for which he received a crystal plaque, a certificate and vouchers
for workshop tools worth £250.
Sean
Murphy of Charlies Groundcare in Newtown was awarded Turf Tech Apprentice of
the Year and joint Parts Tech Apprentices of the Year were Max Evans of Tallis
Amos Group in Bristol and Jack Norman of Masons Kings in Exebridge. All three
also received a crystal plaque and certificate, and the same value vouchers.
The
presentations were made by Deere & Company’s Region 2 training delivery
manager Dr Lutz Schueppenhauer and John Deere Limited’s newly appointed branch
training manager Allan Cochran.
John
Deere’s three-year Ag Tech and Turf Tech and two-year Parts Tech
apprenticeships lead to IMI Level 2 & 3 Diplomas in Landbased Engineering
and Vehicle Parts Competence, and registration at LTA Intermediate level in the
industry’s Landbased Training Accreditation scheme. In subsequent years
qualified technicians undergo further education and adult training within the
John Deere University programme, on a career path that can ultimately lead to
the highest possible LTA Master Technician accreditation.
Now in its 26th year, Ag Tech was the first such scheme to be
introduced in the UK and won a National Training Award at the end of 1997, the
only one ever made to an agricultural machinery apprenticeship programme. Since
the first programme started in 1992, well over 700 apprentices have graduated
through the three main schemes and are now working in the company’s nationwide
dealer network.
Allan
Cochran took over the role of John Deere Limited branch training manager for
the UK & Ireland from his predecessor Richard Halsall at the beginning of
March, and works closely with training partner ProVQ on the John Deere
apprenticeship programmes.
Allan
joined the company in 1997 as a management trainee after completing an HND in
mechanisation, planning and business management at SAC Auchincruive. His
subsequent responsibilities have included sales demonstrator instructor for
tractors, service training instructor, area manager product support for
Scotland and then Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and product
specialist for tractors and loaders.
In 2005
Allan was promoted to technical services manager and then senior product
support specialist, and from 2009 he was technical support specialist for the
tractor dealer technical assistance centre (DTAC) system and a harvesting
customer support specialist.
