Ntsiki Biyela, the first black female winemaker in South Africa, knows the value of training. When she received a bursary to study winemaking, she grabbed it with both hands and eventually became a multi-award-winning winemaker. Her premium wine range, Aslina, is sold across the country and even abroad.

Angie Khumalo, presenter of the agricultural television show African Farming, on Mzansi Wethu (channel 163), visited Biyela in Stellenbosch to see first-hand what this go getter achieved. Khumalo then talked to Paseka Maqaza, a John Deere Dealership Marketer, in studio about the training opportunities John Deere offers men and women.  

Behind the great service John Deere’s clients receive is a family of men and women whose blood are green. Training is just as important to John Deere as it was for Biyela. The people who join the company and its dealerships become part of the family and have various opportunities to receive training. This not only opens doors for them to build careers, but also strengthens and improves the services John Deer delivers to their clients. 

“Our technicians are well trained to give farmers like Ntsiki the best service,” Maqaza said. 

According to him, John Deere dealerships recruit people to train every year. 

“These technicians undergo training for three years. They receive in-service training while working at the dealerships. They even write tests at the John Deere University that is based online. At the end of the three years they have to pass a trade test to complete their qualification.”  

He said a tractor is not like a car, it is more difficult to fix. That is why John Deere ensure that their technicians are equipped to effectively help customers. Being a John Deere technician is a hands-on, high-tech position that’s in high demand. The company offers extensive training opportunities with accelerated options so they can get trainees up to speed, no matter their backgrounds.

The company offers a variety of training options, including online, simulator-based and instructor-led training for equipment operators and service technicians. There are excellent opportunities to help trainees increase their knowledge and skills by attending classes offered through John Deere University. 

“John Deere also run an annual competition to find the best technician in their midst,” Maqaza said. 

For information: Contact your nearest John Deere dealer, or John Deere’s office at 080 098 3821, or visit, www.deere.com/sub-saharan/en.