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John Deere supports Irish apprenticeships
John Deere has started to work more closely with the Institute of Technology Tralee (ITT) in Co Kerry on apprentice training for Irish service technicians.
The company has been running its award winning Ag Tech agricultural engineering apprentice scheme in the UK since 1992, in partnership with Brooksby Melton College. This more formal relationship with ITT has been established to provide the same high level of training, through an enhanced programme designed to meet the specific needs of John Deere’s Irish dealer network.
"ITT is already well known as a centre of excellence for apprenticeship training in Ireland,” says Peter Leech, John Deere Limited’s manager, customer support. "We are now providing more training components and more up to date machinery on loan, to help the Institute deliver the best possible syllabus, to the highest possible qualification standards.
"We have also introduced a special award for the best John Deere apprentice, and our local product support managers will be taking a regular and active role in delivering more specific John Deere product training to help enhance the ITT course."
The Irish agricultural engineering apprenticeship consists of seven training blocks spread over four years, including four ‘on the job’ phases. Of the three additional phases, one in Waterford lasting 20 weeks is delivered by FÁS, Ireland's national training & employment authority, while the other two, lasting 10 weeks each, take place at ITT. It is the latter part of the programme that John Deere is now supporting more fully.
Apprentices completing the programme qualify with an Agricultural Mechanics Advanced Certificate. There are currently six John Deere apprentice service technicians studying at ITT, including James McMenamin from dealer Eamonn Tinney & Sons of Letterkenny, Co Donegal; Pat Carney from Murphy’s Garage, Headford, Co Galway; Michael Swan from Lyons & Burton Ltd, Kilcock, Co Kildare; Gerard Leen from Geary’s Garage Ltd, Kilmeedy, Co Limerick; Robert Deacon from Templetuohy Farm Machinery (Enniscorthy), Co Wexford; and Ian Rooney from Derek Plant Farm Machinery Ltd, Lusk, Co Dublin.
For further details and/or photographs, please contact:
Steve Mitchell
ASM Public Relations
Tel: 024 7630 8912
Fax: 024 7630 5810
E-mail: steve@asmpr.co.uk
or
Peter Leech
John Deere Limited
Tel: 01949 860491
Fax: 01949 860490
Website: www.johndeere.co.uk
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