Parts Tech Programme

Launched by John Deere in partnership with Brooksby Melton College in 2007, Parts Tech is a specialist training programme for aspiring parts apprentices. It is run on similar lines to the award winning Ag Tech and Turf Tech apprentice engineering technician programmes, which have been running since 1992.

Stuart Shaw (pictured) is the parts assistant at Bedfordshire John Deere dealer, J E Buckle Engineers, at New Road, Maulden, having joined the dealership’s Millbrook depot as a trainee in 2006 following an NDA course at Shuttleworth College. Stuart enrolled on the first Parts Tech programme in 2008/2009, and recently became the first winner of a new award for best trainee on the scheme.

“The Parts Tech programme was a good opportunity to advance my learning and improve my skills in different aspects of the job,” says Stuart. “Winning the award was a bonus – more importantly, I’m now a qualified member of a successful, expanding business with good prospects for my future career development.”

John Deere Limited’s aftermarket sales manager James Morley adds: “Parts Tech is designed to provide John Deere dealers with the opportunity to train their parts support staff to the same high professional standards as their service technicians. The training and product support we give our dealers is reflected in the results of the new BAGMA dealer satisfaction survey, in which John Deere beat 13 other manufacturers to return the highest overall score in terms of dealer feedback.”

To minimise time spent away from the sponsoring dealership, the 12-month Parts Tech training programme combines distance learning, work-based assessments and four one-week training blocks at Brooksby Melton College and at John Deere’s Training Centre at Langar.

This all-round programme has been tailored to include specific parts training on John Deere business systems, as well as industry training requirements such as forklift truck operation and more generic skills such as desktop publishing and merchandising. Completion of the course leads to the award of the John Deere Parts Tech certificate and City & Guilds NVQ Level 2.