AI announces new Apprenticeship Program

American Implement has received approval from the State of Kansas for its new Registered Apprenticeship Program, making them the first John Deere dealership in the state of Kansas to have this program, according to a press release from American Implement. The program will be available to all 16 dealership locations throughout Western Kansas, including Ulysses,  and Southeastern Colorado.

Other locations in Kansas include: Colby, Dodge City, Elkhart, Garden City, Goodland, Hugoton, Johnson, Leoti, Montezuma, Oakley, Scott City, Sublette, Syracuse, and Wheeler; and Walsh, Colo. The program will provide American Implement with a formalized, on-the-job technical training plan to help them develop more highly skilled employees, a spokesperson said.

According to the company spokesperson, egistered apprenticeships are highly structured programs that provide necessary knowledge and skills to build fully competent employees.  In the case of American Implement, the first approved occupation will be for Agricultural Equipment Technicians. 

The new Registered Apprenticeship Program mirrors the existing John Deere TECH program, for which American Implement already provides scholarships to multiple students each year. The scholarships allow Ag Tech students to attend one of the five community or technical colleges American Implement is currently partnered with: Garden City Community College in Garden City; Southeast Community College in Milford, Neb.; Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kan.; Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, and Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland, Kan.

The Apprenticeship Program combines technical instruction with paid on-the-job training and mentorship as a part of the highly structured program. Participating apprentices track their on-the-job learning and training time in conjunction with American Implement, after which the program administrator inputs the data into the Kansas database. To ensure high standards are maintained, according to the company, this program follows the national guideline standards developed by John Deere and approved by the US Department of Labor. Upon completion of the apprenticeship program, participating apprentices will receive a nationally recognized journey worker certificate.

All students currently sponsored by American Implement and enrolled in the John Deere TECH program or other sponsored diesel tech programs will automatically be transitioned into the Registered Apprenticeship Program. Any incumbent workers who are interested in the apprenticeship program can be evaluated to determine where they fall within the program to determine their current level of knowledge and competence. 

New candidates interested in the program can contact their local American Implement dealership, apply online at www.americanimplement.com, or contact the company’s recruiter, Jessie Ruiz at 620-258-0009.