Deere Support Innovative Operator Training

For many years, the UK forest industry has suffered from a lack of skilled operators coming into the industry and the lack of a suitable training course to hone the skills of suitable candidates. One of the main obstacles in the past has been the inability of forest colleges to have access to the latest in harvesting technology. Following a successful pilot course two years ago, the first Forest Machine Operator Skills Development course has just been completed at Barony College, Dumfries. The pilot course and subsequent course has been highly supported by John Deere Forestry who have supplied the college with machinery which has allowed the course to progress.

Candidates on the eight week course are first trained using the latest John Deere harvester & forwarder simulators and also learn site planning, risk assessments & pollution control before undergoing basic technical training on electronics & hydraulics by specialist John Deere tutors.

Following this introduction the candidates are introduced to the machinery on a live working site where they then accumulate a full six weeks of machine operation both on harvesters & forwarders thus allowing them to grow closer to a commercially accepted standard of operation. The latest course has been a complete success with all four candidates passing the FMOC assessment for machine operation.