John Deere Introduces Registered Apprenticeship Program for Dealers

Those who participate in this program benefit from structured, on-the-job training with an experienced mentor and are rewarded as they learn new skills.
Those who participate in this program benefit from structured, on-the-job training with an experienced mentor and are rewarded as they learn new skills.

John Deere has announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Department of Labor for its new Registered Apprenticeship Program. As a result, this program will be available to its Agriculture & Turf and Construction & Forestry dealers.

The goal of the program is to address the shortage of service technicians in the field, specifically in rural areas of the country. Dealers will receive a formalized, on-the-job, and technical training plan to help them develop more “highly skilled” employees.

"The new Registered Apprenticeship Program complements our existing John Deere TECH program," said Grant Suhre, director of region 4 customer and product support for John Deere Ag & Turf. "In addition to the on-the-job training experience, an apprentice will receive technical instruction and be assigned a personal mentor as a part of the highly organized training structure. Upon completion of the apprenticeship, he or she will receive a nationally recognized journeyworker certificate."

Those who participate in the apprenticeship program benefit from structured, on-the-job training with an experienced mentor and are rewarded as they learn new skills.

"Because of the earn-while-you-learn nature of the program, it will help dealers more easily recruit new employees and further develop a highly skilled workforce," said Tim Worthington, manager of customer support for the John Deere Construction and Forestry Division. "This can improve a dealer's productivity and profit potential as employee turnover costs are reduced and employees are retained longer. In addition, John Deere customers benefit from access to more highly skilled dealer personnel who are servicing or supporting their equipment."

For more information about the John Deere Registered Apprenticeship Program, individuals can visit their local John Deere dealer.