CLAAS expand student placement opportunities
The recent DEFRA report on the Future of Farming Review highlights the importance of attracting young people into agriculture in order for the industry to remain competitive and sustainable, and to meet the future technological challenges that the industry will face.
Whilst the review concentrated on attracting young entrants into actual farming, by the same measure there is a similar need within the agricultural industry as a whole, and CLAAS UK are responding to both this and the need to meet demand for the growth in the CLAAS Tractor business.
As a family company, CLAAS has long been committed to the employment and training of young people, and currently has over 500 vocational trainees within the Group worldwide. In the UK, CLAAS were one of the first to develop their own apprenticeship scheme and has led the way in the development of the industry-wide LTA (Landbased Technician Accreditation) scheme. In addition, many of those now in senior positions within the company, including CEO Trevor Tyrrell and Sales & Marketing Manager Jeremy Wiggins, joined the company’s graduate management trainee programme from University.
As part of a review of its future needs and the continued increase in CLAAS tractor sales, for 2013/14 CLAAS UK has considerably expanded its student placement year programme with Harper Adams University (HAU), both in the number of positions offered, but also to students from other universities. In total, 20 placement students have been recruited, and whilst the majority are from HAU, they have been joined by students from the universities of Nottingham, Loughborough and Northumbria as well as one from Germany.
For the first time 15 of these placement students will be working within Claas dealerships throughout England, 10 supporting CLAAS tractors and telescopic handlers and five working in after-sales. A further five will be working in IT, sales, marketing, parts and training roles at the CUK headquarters at Saxham.
The students will be with CLAAS UK for up to 15 months, by which time they will have gained valuable experience that will provide a sound basis for future employment and the potential opportunity to join the CLAAS management trainee programme upon completion of their studies.