John Deere Apprenticeships

Jack Bolton started helping his dad mow football pitches after he left school. Using John Deere machinery, he quickly realised what he wanted his future career to be and hoped to one day work for one of the biggest brands in groundscare.

Today, Jack is 18 months into a three-year John Deere Turf Tech apprenticeship course with Ripon Farm Services and is well on his way to becoming a fully qualified technician.

So far, he has had the opportunity to work on a variety of machines, from mowers to Gators, and does everything a fully qualified technician would do, including servicing machines, carrying out repairs and keeping the products in the best condition.

“What I’ve learnt so far is that when working on these machines, communication, concentration and taking your time is really important,” Jack says.

“I’m always encouraged to ask questions too – if you don’t understand, there’ll always be someone who’ll be more than happy to help you out and teach you how something is done.”

Jack completes a variety of jobs, both with his mentor, who guides him through anything that he is unfamiliar with, and on his own, usually on machines he has had prior experience with, such as walk-behind mowers.

“What I love about being a John Deere apprentice is that everything I learn is very practical,” Jack says.

“I always feel a sense of accomplishment when I finish a job. The opportunities that the apprenticeship presents are great. I get to go to different places on jobs like football pitches and golf courses, and the constant learning from working with the machines is great too.

“I really enjoy working on the Gators. They’re very rewarding to work on. If you know your way around a Gator, you’ll know your way around most machines. I also like the walk-behinds as they’re fairly simple in comparison, there’s not too much that can go wrong with them.”

Apprentices also spend a lot of their time in the classroom at the Apprentice Training Centre, learning about the theoretical side of being a technician, which is just as important as the practical.

“The theoretical learning is very different to the practical side,” Jack says. “You’re learning about the fundamental aspects of engines and the proper use of tools, essentially the basics of being a technician. It’s really interesting and incredibly important.”

Jack looks forward to the next half of his course, as he looks to gain more independence in his work.

“I’m really looking forward to expanding my knowledge and skill sets further,” Jack says. “I think down the line I’ll be working on some more electrical-based jobs, especially as John Deere moves more into electric machines. I’m not too sure what to expect for the rest of my course, but I’m looking forward to getting stuck in.”

No two days are the same for Rebecca Weston, as she works towards her goal of becoming a fully qualified John Deere technician.

Interested in agriculture and mechanics from a young age, Rebecca jumped at the chance of joining the John Deere Ag Tech Apprenticeship course.

“I decided to join John Deere’s apprenticeship programme not only because it’s a world-renowned brand, but also because the opportunities that the company provides young people,” Rebecca says. “It’s also great that I can work at my local dealership, Ripon Farm Services.”

Originally from Harrogate, Rebecca has worked on a variety of machines since she started the course, including 8000 and 9000 Series forage harvesters and 6R tractors.

She has also had the opportunity to go out to farms and complete jobs in the field to compliment her work in the workshop.

“One thing I’ve particularly enjoyed on my course is going out on jobs to different farms,” Rebecca says. “Getting to see the machines in action is fantastic, and being able to repair or service a machine and seeing it work gives me a great sense of accomplishment knowing that I’ve helped a working farmer.”

With the help of her mentor, Stephen Dennis, Rebecca has been able to expand her skill set and increase her knowledge.

A typical day for Rebecca as a John Deere apprentice sees her completing various jobs, whether she’s based in the workshop or out on a farm. These include general machine servicing, pre-delivery inspections, or servicing and repairs for customers who bring machines to the workshop.

With another year left on her course, Rebecca looks forward to gradually becoming more independent in her work and being able to apply her skills to an even wider variety of machines to further expand her knowledge.

“To anyone thinking of joining the John Deere apprenticeship programme, just go for it,” she says. “It’s great fun and everything about it is amazing. It opens you up to a wide variety of work and experiences, and you get to work on all sorts of different machines. No two days are the same when you’re a John Deere apprentice.”

Working for John Deere dealer Hunt Forest Group in Chilbolton, Hampshire, Merlin Mulberry is in the third and final year of his Ag-Tech apprenticeship and is just months away from becoming a fully qualified technician.

Despite not coming from an agricultural background, Merlin had an interest in farm machinery that grew from working with local farm contractors near where he lives in Whiteparish, Wiltshire. From here, he wanted to expand and progress his knowledge and saw that John Deere had the best opportunities to do this.

He says joining John Deere’s apprenticeship programme was a “no-brainer” and the only option he felt drawn towards, despite having offers from elsewhere.

While he works on a wide range of machines and different technologies including tractors and combines, Merlin’s speciality lies with maintaining self-propelled forage harvesters.

“For me forager harvesters are the best machines to work on,” Merlin says. “I’m fascinated by how they work and enjoy seeing what they are capable of in the field.”

Merlin’s typical day has changed over the three years. In his first year he would spend most of his time working alongside his dedicated mentor who would guide him through workshop tasks and in-field maintenance.

The second year brought more autonomy, and in the final 12 months he is encouraged to work as independently as possible, backed up by his dealer and mentor whenever required.

“One of the most important things that I’ve learnt during the programme is customer relations, and how to deal with various scenarios,” Merlin says. “The relationships you build with the customers and the impact that has on them is incredibly important to the job.

“To anyone thinking of becoming a John Deere apprentice, you don’t have to be from an agricultural background,” says Merlin. “If you have the right mindset and passion, crack on and give it a go. I haven’t got any complaints about becoming a Hunt Forest Group John Deere apprentice, it’s a brilliant choice for anyone with a passion for farming.”

Merlin says his qualification will be “extremely valuable” and could get him employment with any John Deere dealer around the world. There is also the option to train further and become a master technician.

Maddie Green completed the Parts Tech course in 2021 and was named Parts Tech Apprentice of the Year. She has been working at the Ben Burgess dealership in.

Maddie’s day-to-day job sees her dealing with inventory in both the showroom and storerooms and reordering parts from John Deere.

Most of her time, however, is spent helping customers with their parts needs and enquiries, which requires a lot of problem solving.

“It’s really satisfying when you’re able to help customers with their enquiries,” Maddie said. “There’s a great sense of accomplishment that comes with it.”

Maddie chose John Deere’s Parts Tech programme as she wanted to further her knowledge and gain useful and transferable skills, while working for a globally recognised brand. The prospect of working internationally especially appealed to her.

Taught at John Deere’s training centre in Langar, the Parts Tech course helped Maddie develop her retail and customer relations skills and taught her all about parts distribution and how to maintain showrooms.

“Doing the apprenticeship course, and developing my people skills especially, took me out of my comfort zone,” Maddie said. “It’s given me the confidence to do the job I’m doing now.

“I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship with John Deere. It gives you a qualification that opens up so many opportunities.”

John Deere’s apprenticeship courses have provided young trainees with the knowledge and skills they need to start their careers for 30 years. To date, in excess of 1,000 graduates have completed the courses and gone on to work throughout John Deere’s nationwide dealer network.

Having worked her way up the dealership network, Maddie is unsure what her future holds. However, she knows that the skills she has acquired from the apprenticeship course and the experience she has gained from employment at Ben Burgess will open doors across the sector.