Hands-on ag tech training for Saskatchewan high school students

Dec 08, 2023

Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre (Sask DLC) and Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Sask Polytech) are providing high school students the opportunity to get practical, hands-on learning in the agriculture technology field.

Through a one-day boot camp at the Sask Polytech Saskatoon campus, students will learn from Sask Polytech instructors, shadow industry experts and connect with their classmates from across the province.

The boot camp provides students a glimpse into the post-secondary training for key roles in our agriculture industry such as Agriculture Equipment Technicians (AET) and Parts Management Technicians (PMT). Students participating in the optional boot camp will earn six credit hours towards their work placement requirement in either Agricultural Equipment Technician 20, 30 or Parts Technician 30. Students in these courses complete 50 hours of online learning and 50 hours of work placement to earn an elective credit in the Practical and Applied Arts area.

The student work placements are made possible thanks to a five-year partnership between Sask DLC and the North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA) and the Canada Equipment Dealers Foundation (CEDF). Through the partnership, students are paired with an agriculture equipment dealership located near them, making this course accessible to students throughout the province. This partnership also supports the agriculture technology sector in their recruitment of future qualified employees to serve the industry and the province for years to come.

"Our farm and construction dealer members wholeheartedly support this program as it's been a resounding success in creating awareness about the excellent career opportunities in our industry," NAEDA Vice President Larry Hertz said. "Since its inception, we've expanded the Agricultural Equipment Technician high school courses to include Parts Technician, with further expansion planned to include Precision Agriculture. These skilled trades are the lifeblood of our industry and the farm customers we serve. It's imperative that students making career choices are fully aware of the opportunities to work in an industry that's feeding the world."

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Video: A Farm Song (Busy) | Parody of A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey

Lyrics:

My days begin with workin’, Alarm’s at 5 o’clock,
I Fill 5 gallon buckets, The feeders and the troughs,
This five to nine ain’t workin’, why the heck do I work so hard?,
I can’t worry ‘bout health problems, I can sleep in when I’m gone,

One, here comes the two to the three to the four,
Tell em’ ‘buy another cow, we need plenty more’,
Blue jeans are gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
There’s another flock of sheep that still needs feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

I’ve been working pretty stressed but,
I ain’t changing for some cash,
Lord knows that I’m very blessed (More chores),
But I gotta say it’s hard,
Workin’ outside gettin’ charred,
Living out here on the farm, (more chores)

One, here comes the two to the three to the four,
Tell em’ ‘buy another cow, we need plenty more’,
Blue jeans are gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history
There’s another 20 chickens that still need feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Everybody on the farm getting’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Fun, here on ranch that’s what you can’t ignore,
Might be pretty hard but I love it to its core,
Flannel’s gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores (Tell ‘em sing with me)

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
There’s another flock of sheep that still needs feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
Watching cattle in the dark, don’t miss me,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
(Yeeeeeehaw)
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
It’s the best bro, go get yourself a farm