Working as a John Deere Turf Tech Apprentice

After embarking on a three-year John Deere Turf Tech apprenticeship course with Ripon Farm Services, Jack Bolton is on the path to becoming a fully-qualified technician.

Since starting his apprenticeship, 19-year-old Jack Bolton has had the opportunity to work on a variety of machines, from mowers to gators, doing everything a fully-qualified technician would do, including servicing machines, carrying out repairs and keeping products in the best possible condition for their owners. 

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 prior experience with, such as walk-behind mowers. 

"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." Jack says. 

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

Jack looks forward to the rest of his course, as he looks to gain more independence in his work. He 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 looking forward to getting stuck in."

New students are enrolled each year, and the standard programmes include on-the-job training and assessment as well as up to eight weeks each year at the John Deere Apprentice Training Centre in Nottinghamshire. John Deere's apprenticeship programme trains students in engineering, electronics, hydraulics, diagnostics, communication skills, computing, sales and marketing.