A former serviceman who began a brand new profession as a technician engaged on equipment for groundscare professionals says the sector gives enormous alternatives for these trying to resettle after life within the armed forces.
Andy Irvine is one in every of quite a few people who’ve began new jobs at John Deere dealerships throughout the UK and Eire following a few years in service.
Primarily based at Turner Groundscare Equipment close to Chester since final April, Andy stepped right into a area service technician position, supporting clients at world-renowned soccer golf equipment, golf programs and rugby stadiums throughout north-west England.
He has lately been promoted to workshop supervisor and says there’s job satisfaction and development on supply for anybody leaving the forces with the suitable abilities.
Andy served 14 years within the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), operating workshops of as much as 25 folks on house soil and through abroad deployments.
He labored on all kinds of machines starting from chainsaws to quad bikes and diggers to principal battle tanks.
“I’ve all the time been serious about engineering,” Andy mentioned. “After I left college, I labored in an area storage I obtained a very good grounding of engineering requirements.
“My foreman on the time mentioned one thing to me that I’ve taken with me all through my profession; something you contact must be at a sure customary when it goes out the door, and if it’s not, then it’s your fame that’s on the road.”
Andy mentioned that the one means he would go away the military is for his dream job, which was to work for John Deere.
“The John Deere model is the perfect of the perfect within the sector,” Andy mentioned. “I couldn’t consider something extra I’d reasonably flip spanners on.”
Andy was eager to get began in a brand new profession so he interviewed for a place at his native Turner Grondscare Equipment dealership. He was nonetheless contracted to the military for six months, however basic supervisor Gareth Baker agreed to carry the put up for him.
As a technician, Andy labored on all kinds of machines, together with the newest improvements from John Deere such because the 225 E-Minimize which is the corporate’s first fully-electric walk-behind greens mower for golf programs. He serviced and repaired a gear from Gator utility automobiles to compact tractors.
Being on the highway every day meant he could possibly be working at Liverpool FC’s AXA Coaching Centre within the morning and supporting the group at Royal Birkdale Golf Membership within the afternoon.
Andy notes similarities in working as a technician and being within the military. He says every single day is completely different, and when he was known as to a job he by no means knew precisely what to anticipate.
“Whenever you get the decision, you solely know you’re going out to a restore, the place the placement is and what the machine is, however every thing else must be handled once you arrive,” Andy mentioned.
“The strain is on you. Whether or not it’s troopers or greenkeepers, folks look to you to relay your intelligence and your thought course of into what the fault could possibly be and clarify to them why an element has failed and the way the difficulty is resolved.”
He describes the variations between military life and civvy avenue as “constructive”, with a few of the principal advantages being routine working hours and a greater work-life steadiness for him and his household.
“I’m lastly in a position to plan my 12 months upfront,” Andy mentioned. “I now know that I can spend my evenings and weekends with my household and might even ebook holidays figuring out I can truly go on them.”
Andy hopes to encourage these pondering of leaving the service to make the change and begin a brand new profession with John Deere.
“In case you have the best mindset and also you’re constructive and proactive, you’ll be utterly high-quality transitioning from navy life to civilian life,” Andy mentioned. It’s a step forwards in direction of not only a higher job, however a greater way of life.
“You’ll get a component of management again in your life. Since leaving, I can put my hand on my coronary heart saying that I’m in a greater place, workwise and mentally, than I used to be working for the military.”
John Deere launched its Navy Hiring Programme in 2023 in a bid to draw folks comparable to Andy to the agriculture {and professional} groundscare sectors. He thinks it is going to be an incredible springboard for these eager to resettle into the sector.
service and ex-service members can study extra in regards to the programme and fill out a contact card by visiting www.deere.com/JDMHP.
After making contact, they are going to be put in contact with a person from the John Deere community who has resettled following a profession within the armed forces to debate all potential choices.
Gareth Baker added: “Andy’s been a breath of contemporary air. His work fee and organisational abilities are distinctive, which is precisely what you want for a task like this.
“We had been ready to attend for him to finish his transition from the military for six months, primarily due to his administration expertise.
“He’s now the workshop supervisor and has constructed a group beneath him, together with a technician who has lately joined our group from the Navy.
“The calibre of folks that have come into the sector from the armed forces actually stands out.”
