WESTERN PRODUCER — High school students might be more willing to stay in their hometown if they knew about careers in ag equipment
Many farm implement dealerships are desperate. They’re searching for young, new technicians to replace aging mechanics who are retiring.
High school graduates often express a desire to stay in their home towns but say moving to a big city is often the only way to earn a decent living.
That’s not necessarily true, according to the Western Equipment Dealers Association (WEDA). The association has helped initiate a program in Saskatchewan aimed at exposing teenagers to the many good career opportunities available in the farm equipment industry. Titled the Ag Equipment Technician Program, WEDA worked closely with the Sun West Distant Learning Center in Kenaston and Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Saskatoon to develop the curriculum for any Grade 11 or Grade 12 student who wants to enrol.
Launched four years ago, the program is available to high school students across Saskatchewan.
WEDA vice-president Larry Hertz says there has been about 100 students per year enrolled in either the Ag Equipment Technician 20 or the Ag Equipment Technician 30 curriculum. The program was ready to expand across Canada when COVID hit the nation. Hertz says that expansion east and west will start this fall.
The program aims to show young men and women that, as long as there’s agriculture, there will be implement dealers and career paths.
“And I don’t expect agriculture will ever disappear from the Prairies,” says Hertz.
“I think the situation facing dealers is that farm kids today are less involved with running the farm than our generation. We grew up looking after cattle, driving tractor and helping fix machinery. Even at 12 or 14, we were part of the farm operation. I don’t think that’s the situation today.”
Hertz thinks kids today go into semi mechanics, RV equipment, marine, automotive mechanics or computer science, not realizing that farm machinery is a whole other field to consider. He says not every farm technician will make a six-figure salary, but many of them can do very well financially. Benefits are on par with other professions. However, there’s also a very strong monetary pull in oil and gas, or mining or electronics.
“An implement technician will not have a nine to five job throughout much of the summer, from seeding through to harvest. You’ll work some weekends and some evenings. And you’ll take your turn on the service truck. If the combine stops out in the middle of a field, that’s where you’ll be working. If you work in the Honda dealership, then you’re looking at a nine to five job.
“Some larger farms now hire their own ag equipment technicians. Their shops are as nice and well-equipped as anything you’ll find in a dealership. A lot of high school grads want to work in electronics. They can do that with precision ag in a dealership. Today’s ag implement are fully digitalized, and can provide the challenge they’re looking for. For instance, a 2022 combine has more computer chips by far than a 2022 car.
“We had a meeting a couple weeks ago with the Sun West Distance Learning Center in Kenaston. Now we’re looking at launching a high school precision ag technician program. This is aimed at kids who have an interest in computer technology and diagnostics and agronomy. It opens up another career path. For kids only interested in the mechanical side of things, 95 percent of ag equipment repairs are mechanical. So, there’s still plenty of wrench turning to be done.”
The 20L curriculum for Grade 11 covers the basics, says Hertz. Students learn about the fundamentals of electrical and hydraulics, of internal combustion engines, safe working habits plus proper use of shop equipment and tools. The 20 course also brings students into dealerships for an up-close look at what happens in service, in parts, in sales, precision ag and in accounting.
The 30L curriculum for Grade 12 lets students start to delve deeper into the areas of interest they were exposed to in Grade 11. The suffix “L” designates that the curriculum is locally developed. Each course consists of 50 hours on-line curriculum plus 50 hours of practical work experience at a dealership. The standard criteria for a high school class in Saskatchewan is 100 hours.
“There’s also boot camp every fall, held at Polytechnic in Saskatoon. The high school students work with licensed technicians who are taking their Level Two, Three or Four class or a specialty certificate program. It gives students an idea of what it will be like when they start taking their various apprenticeship levels. Some students want to go full-on for two straight years and get their papers before they start working.”
