Further education and training are often considered options primarily for young adults.
However, with the revitalised CLAAS UK headquarters, an additional training facility named CLAAS Academy has opened doors not only to young adults but also to dealer sales members, service, and parts staff, alongside customers seeking machine operator training.
During a recent visit by The Scottish Farmer to the CLAAS HQ at Saxham, we discovered how the cutting-edge £1.2m CLAAS Academy can benefit individuals seeking careers in land-based engineering, as well as farmers and contractors looking to enhance their knowledge.
The decision to invest in these facilities follows a review into the importance of quality customer service and after-sales support for the CLAAS machinery range.
However, this isn’t the first edition of CLAAS training facilities, as the first academy opened in 1954, employing just one tutor.
Over the years, this vision has expanded significantly, with the introduction of certification levels for dealer service engineers.
The Advanced Master Mechanic certification was introduced around 20 years ago, followed by the highest level of Master Technician in 2002.
This development has laid the foundations for the current 4-step career path.
The new CLAAS academy, unveiled in 2017, currently boasts 11 staff members capable of hosting over 4,000 training sessions annually with regular Ofsted inspections.
Beyond serving customers, sales members, service, and parts staff, the academy is leading the way in shaping industry training standards for young apprentices and service mechanics.
At Level 1, apprentices aged 16 and above can enrol in the CLAAS Apprenticeship scheme.
Upon completion of their formal training at SRUC Barony or Reaseheath College in Cheshire, they progress to Level 2 as Service Mechanics, with opportunities for further development to Level 3 as Master Mechanics.
For a select few, an intensive specialist assessment leads to the coveted status of a Master Technician at Level 4.
Over the 4 years at the CLAAS Academy, students undergo training within six state-of-the-art classrooms and five workshops capable of accommodating the largest CLAAS combines and forage harvesters. Learning is divided into a 20% classroom and 80% workshop basis, with practical skills being a major focus, encouraging students to understand machinery repair rather than resorting to parts swapping.
Accommodation sits parallel with the standards of learning as students are put up in a 4-star gold resort located near the Saxham HQ. The apprenticeship follows a 5 day a week basis, with training starting at 8am and finishing at 5pm. While some may argue the ‘college experience’ is missing, CLAAS UK believe that the opportunity to sit and have lunch with professionals of CLAAS UK within the HQ restaurant, offers a far more beneficial learning experience.
Accommodations match the standards of learning.
Students stay in a 4-star gold resort located near the Saxham HQ.
The apprenticeship follows a 5-day-a-week basis, with training starting at 8 am and finishing at 5 pm.
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