Dealers know their future is with John Deere TECH Program graduates. Although general diesel programs can provide students with overall diesel engine training, it takes something special to work with Green. “The fact that the TECH Program focuses exclusively on John Deere equipment sets the program apart,” says Brian Miller, corporate service manager, A&M Green Power Group, Macedonia, IA. “I’ve hired people from a general farm diesel program, but there’s something special about these graduates.” The number one reason John Deere TECH graduates are in such high demand is their skills. They spend two years focused on John Deere. Their on-the-job training puts them hands on with John Deere. They enter the workforce knowing how to fix John Deere. That’s what dealers want. “TECH graduates have the skills to work on John Deere systems. We can put them to work fast,” says Paul Mattern, service manager, Dakota Farm Equipment Inc., Beach, ND. “They know how to find information through Pathways or Service ADVISOR™. They’re familiar with John Deere hydraulics. They know where to go to find information and answers.” John Deere’s partnership with 18 colleges across the country delivers all kinds of benefits. The company makes sure each program has updated equipment and tools for the students—equipment they are likely to see on the job. “John Deere is really good about getting the latest equipment in the students’ hands,” says Mattern. “They come out of the program knowing the newest technology.” Dealers know hiring TECH graduates is money in the bank, so students are almost guaranteed a job after graduation. On the other hand, general diesel graduates aren’t certified in John Deere hydraulics, electronics, or Service ADVISOR™. Dealers who hire them must send them to certification courses on their own dime. This gives TECH graduates a distinct advantage. “Because they come out of the program certified and with John Deere experience, they’re a little further up the ladder than a general diesel graduate,” says Eddie Graczewski, service manager, Stanton Equipment Inc., East Windsor, CT. “Diesel tech graduates would be fine if I just wanted someone to overhaul an engine. But with the hydraulics and electronics in this equipment, it’s far better to hire someone from the John Deere TECH Program.”