Dealers support industry leading apprenticeship

The high level of support from the Claas dealer network for the new, industry leading in-house apprenticeship based at the Claas Academy at Saxham is evident in the fact that the new course starting this Autumn is fully booked

Claas is the only UK machinery manufacturer to offer and deliver a specific in-house apprenticeship scheme, using new purpose built facilities. Opened earlier this year the new Academy is an integral part of the Claas Academy at the Claas UK Saxham headquarters site.

Following the inaugural intake of students in February, a further 23 students from dealerships throughout England, Wales and Ireland arrived at Saxham for the start of their 4-year block-release course in September.

A further cohort of students from dealerships in Scotland have also been welcomed onto their course provided and run by the Scottish Rural College (SRUC) Barony near Dumfries.

The new Claas in-house Apprenticeship scheme was introduced to help raise the standard of newly qualified engineers. By ‘growing our own’ Claas UK can ensure that the engineers of the future have been fully trained on the very latest Claas machinery and that they have the skill set to keep them abreast of technological advancements within the industry, including key franchises offered by the Claas dealer network.

During their apprenticeship, the students will study for a Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard in Land-Based Service Engineering Technician, delivered by dedicated CLAAS trainers alongside specialist product trainers from the main Claas Academy.

The new Apprentice Academy with its purpose built facilities and specialist fabrication, engine workshops and classrooms, in addition to break-out areas and onsite restaurant, provide the students with some of the best training facilities in the UK. The 3 million Euros development is a worldwide first for the Claas Group and is being used as a blueprint for the instigation of similar programmes within the company’s global operation.

Falkirk is naturally celebrated for the Kelpies sculptures and the Falkirk Wheel, but the farming links are never far away. Take the Kelpies themselves as an example. These mesmerising sculptures will celebrate a big birthday in 2023: completed in 2013, these iconic creations will soon be ten years old. Not only do the sculptures pay homage to Scottish myths and legends, they also honour the Clydesdale horses that worked the waterways, helping to move Scotland’s produce and goods, from agricultural to industrial, through the canals. Sculptor, Andy Scott, modelled his pieces on two Clydesdales named Baron and Duke. It’s said that these handsome creatures were also the focus of Scott’s steel heavy horse installation, which can be found just off the M8 outside Glasgow.

Make your next Falkirk stop Callendar House and Park. Within