Bromwich Hardy has played a key role in plans for a new apprentice training centre for agricultural machinery specialist John Deere.
John Deere and training provider ProVQ will open the centre at a farm site in Upper Saxondale near Bingham in Nottinghamshire this autumn.
Bromwich Hardy partner Michelle Mills acted for ProVQ to secure the site for the new centre, which will see the creation of a workshop and new offices and training facilities covering some 12,000sq ft.
Michelle said the project would create a new home for John Deere’s apprentice intake and allow it to train more staff for its network of dealers.
“We were delighted to have played a part in the creation of this excellent new centre and look forward to seeing the training provided by ProVQ going from strength to strength.
“John Deere is one of the great names of the agricultural world and this centre will help ensure that the name continues to be associated with the very best levels of service.”
Designed specifically and solely for John Deere dealer apprentices attending the company’s award-winning Ag Tech, Turf Tech and Parts Tech training programmes, the first John Deere Apprentice Training Centre was established at Radcliffe-on-Trent five years ago.
These premises have now been outgrown, due to the programme’s success and increasing dealer demand.
The Ag,Turf and Parts Tech apprenticeships focus on developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for dealer personnel of the future. Each year-group trains at the centre for up to eight weeks a year in four blocks of two weeks. Some of this time is also spent at John Deere’s Langar HQ when working with the largest equipment and the latest technologies.
John Deere appointed ProVQ Limited in summer 2015 to deliver the apprentice training programmes on behalf of its dealers in the UK & Ireland.
Training centre manager Allan Cochran said: “We are really looking forward to establishing this new bespoke facility close to our UK headquarters at Langar. Our joint investment in the expanded Apprentice Training Centre will be in the region of £1.5 million. This will allow us to continue our growth and ambition to attract more young talent to develop successful careers in land-based engineering through the John Deere agricultural, turf and forestry dealer network.
“The new site will feature a purpose-built two-storey unit in addition to refurbished and extended farm buildings, effectively almost doubling our available square footage. The premises will include a bigger workshop space as well as larger classroom and cafeteria facilities.
“Most importantly, this will give us the capability to double our throughput of trained technicians to meet dealer demand. ProVQ will maintain its current staffing levels and continue to provide the full suite of apprentice technician training programmes at the new premises.”
ProVQ managing director Stuart Jones added: “Together with John Deere, we have already jointly developed a very high-quality training environment in which apprentices can learn to master the technology that underpins the company’s comprehensive agricultural and amenity turf product ranges.
“We are now looking forward to seeing many more young people come through the doors of our new training centre at the start of what is undoubtedly a very exciting and rewarding career in engineering and parts support.”
Image: Pictured at the site of John Deere and ProVQ’s new Apprentice Training Centre are (rear, left to right) Stuart Jones and James Haslam of ProVQ, Allan Cochran of John Deere and (front left & right) third year Turf Tech apprentice Sean Richardson of dealer Tuckwells at Ardleigh with John Deere work experience placement student Harriet Stephenson.