CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — Parkland College has announced a new partnership with AGCO Corporation.
AGCO Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision agriculture technology.
Starting in Fall 2024, the college will construct a new $6 million training center on its campus. The construction was made possible by a $5 million donation from AGCO Corporation.
The facility will house a new Service Technician Associate in Applied Science degree program. It will provide students with instruction specific to AGCO-branded equipment such as Fendt® and Massey Ferguson® and provide education in general ag concepts.
The program will accept students sponsored by AGCO dealerships.
The two-year program will employ a work-based learning program to rotate students between classwork and fieldwork. Those who complete the program will get fully accredited associate degrees.
The President of Parkland College says students will be guaranteed a job at completion of the program.
"The students also when they come in, they will have a sponsoring AGCO dealer and that means that while they are training with us there will be times where they will go back to work with the dealership so they will get actual experience working in the company and then when they graduate from us, they have a guaranteed job with the sponsoring dealer,” said Dr. Pamela Lau.
Dr. Lau also credited their strong relationship with the University of Illinois for the partnership with AGCO.
“The university works with a lot of big companies and agriculture is one of the big interests of the university. We have a very good relationship with the university and its research park that when they heard there was interest in technical training needs, they directed the AGCO people our way to say you need to go talk with Parkland College because they deserve a technician training program,” said Lau.
The program includes:
- Service Technician A.A.S degree
- Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 technician certification on AGCO equipment
- Operation, troubleshooting, and service information for AGCO equipment
- Service, warranty and parts information for AGCO equipment
- Work-based learning with AGCO dealerships
Classes in Fall 2023 will be held in the currently existing agricultural buildings on campus.
Groundbreaking will occur in summer 2023 on the new 25,000-square-foot building.
For more information, click here.
Copyright 2023. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
