As it has every year, the competition began with a written exam in early June with more than 1000 test taken by technicians from Freightliner and Western Star dealerships and Detroit distributors in the U.S. and Canada. The 28 top-scoring vehicle and engine technicians will then compete in a “virtual” hands-on competition August 11-12. Unlike in previous years, when technicians traveled to DTNA headquarters in Portland to compete, the finalists this year will be tested at their dealership. Using computers and video, the judges will walk the technicians through different stations where they’ll be evaluated on how quickly they can troubleshoot problems. The best vehicle and engine technicians will be awarded on August 13 in a virtual ceremony.

“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have made us more aware than ever of the importance and indispensability of our technicians and service network. As our vehicles become increasingly complex, it is critical that we support the development and innovation of our technicians so that they can be on the cutting edge. Technicians truly drive the Uptime Revolution for our customers, and they are a big part of why DTNA leads the industry.”

said Admir Kreso, general manager for Dealer Service with DTNA.

With a service network spanning the U.S. and Canada, DTNA and its affiliated service locations invest more than $20 million in technician training and development annually. Some programs and initiatives include:

• Get Ahead Program is a partnership between DTNA, technical schools, and DTNA service network locations that provides students free access to web-based training materials, service literature, and diagnostic link licenses.
• Finish First is a 12-week, hands-on training program offered at select Universal Technical Institute campuses. Students earn certifications for Freightliner and Western Star trucks and Detroit engines. Students can also apply for scholarships to the Finish First program through DTNA’s TechForce Foundation. More than 1,300 students have graduated from the program since it was founded in 2008.
• MasterTech Recognition Program recognizes and rewards technicians who go above and beyond in the pursuit of providing an unsurpassed customer experience.
• Be Pro Be Proud is a Freightliner-sponsored initiative in Arkansas which interests students, parents and educators in technical professionals in the manufacturing, trucking and construction industries.

Source: Daimler

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“To help our customers ensure they are using their Brokk machines in the safest, most efficient way possible, our technicians provide in-depth, hands-on training with on all new and used machine purchases as well as rental machine startups,”

said Lars Lindgren, President of Brokk Inc.

“And as we expand our presence in North America, we’ve been able to go a step further and offer continued training options. Maybe that means coming to the jobsite for an operational refresher course with new hires or a one-on-one mechanical course at our St. Joseph facility. The enhanced training options allow contractors to design a curriculum that maximizes their Brokk experience.”

Customers can tailor training to focus on either machine operation or mechanics, depending on their needs and applications. All curriculum includes a combination of hands-on and classroom training by one of six specialized Brokk technicians. These team members are highly skilled with years of experience using Brokk machines in a variety of applications and will be assigned based on their specialties, including concrete cutting, process, and foundry, demolition, or service and repair. In addition to on-site training, the enhanced options can be designed to take advantage of the inventory and service facilities at Brokk’s Demonstration and Service Center in St. Joseph, Missouri. Special arrangements also can be made through the Stanhope, New Jersey, distribution center, and company headquarters in Monroe, Washington.

The Training curriculum will vary based on customer applications and crew requirements. A refresher course that covers key systems and components and touches on general job sites procedures — such as daily inspections and control box protocols to maximize machine control and operator comfort — will be included in most customized courses. Additional training in areas such as key troubleshooting and error code analysis, as well as operation tips to increase productivity and reduce stress on the machine, are also incorporated to help operators seamlessly integrate Brokk equipment into their applications and revolutionize productivity.

“Whether a contractor is new to Brokk or has been using a remote-controlled demolition machine for years, training is a continuous process,”

Lindgren said.

“Our machines have gone through numerous evolutions in more than 40 years. Training helps Brokk operators best use these cutting-edge innovations to improve their productivity and safety. Customers work one-on-one with our best technicians — some of them with more than 30 years of industry experience. For management, it provides an opportunity to better understand the equipment and recognize operator potential to maximize efficiency.”

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“Animal health is extremely important in contributing to sustainable development goals and economic opportunities in Africa. Access to medicines and technology will help farmers raise healthier animals and secure a more productive and sustainable food supply and income, which is critical to the economic development of the region and well-being of its people.”

said Rob Kelly, President International Operations at Zoetis.

As one of the most rapidly developing regions in the world, sub-Saharan Africa is also home to some of the largest livestock populations in the world – and the highest density of livestock keepers with the lowest productivity per animal. With the COVID-19 pandemic, healthy livestock are more essential than ever to rural smallholder communities because of the role they play in achieving food security. This is especially true in areas of high animal and human disease incidence.

Hundreds of millions of doses of animal health products distributed and diagnostic services more widely available to farmers

One of the initiative’s focal areas is to increase access to an expanded range of high-quality livestock medicines and disease solutions. Through dedicated regulatory activities, there are now 65 new veterinary products commercially available in addition to the Zoetis diagnostics portfolio in A.L.P.H.A. countries, which is a crucial component of sustainable development in the animal health sector. Hundreds of millions of doses of animal health products have been distributed in A.L.P.H.A. countries since the start of the initiative allowing access to quality medicines and increased productivity of smallholder farms.

Presently, the A.L.P.H.A initiative has developed and upgraded facilities of nine diagnostic laboratories across Ethiopia, Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania in collaboration with strategic private and public partners. These labs are fully operational and are serving local farming communities to diagnose the most common diseases of poultry and cattle;  ensuring correct and responsible use of veterinary products (which  helps to reduce drug resistance); mitigating  losses from incorrect disease treatment, and  ultimately safeguarding effective outcomes for farmers and their livestock. When selecting local partners, one criterion is their ability to offer diagnostic services in a sustainable manner, without future dependency on grant funding. A further six laboratories are undergoing set-up to commence diagnostic service provision in 2020.

Continuing training through virtual channels and ensuring inclusion of women

In collaboration with the University of Surrey (UK), the initiative conducted studies to identify training needs of veterinary professionals in Ethiopia and Uganda to address training gaps through customized solutions. By providing training on animal nutrition, disease detection and other animal health issues, the A.L.P.H.A. initiative continued to support training of local stakeholders through a Train-the-Trainer approach, which resulted in estimated reach of almost 400,000 people trained to date. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, A.L.P.H.A. trainers adapted traditional training to online versions and webinars.

“Online training in sub-Saharan Africa are very successful. Our customers generally have smartphones with access to digital platforms, which allows them to maintain learning continuity. We recently participated in an Instagram live broadcast on the responsible use of antibiotics, an initiative very welcomed by our network, including young professionals,”

said Dr. Adah Ogwuche, Field Veterinarian (A.L.P.H.A. Nigeria).

As women play a very important role in the region’s smallholder farms, A.L.P.H.A. works to ensure gender balance and inclusion of women in all trainings to transform the livestock sector for wider societal impact. Whilst currently achieving around a 40% participation rate of women, Zoetis is committed to aiming for equal gender participation in our educational programs.

Foundation for enhanced veterinary protocols through “LabCards” and pooled vaccinators program to establish sustainable practices

A new digital app and diagnostic portal called “ LabCards” was recently launched in A.L.P.H.A. countries to ensure detailed tracking in the field and timely feedback of diagnostic results. The app facilitates sample data collection, results processing, and communication back to the attending veterinarian or para-veterinarian. 

“In rural Africa, paperwork can be cumbersome and testing feedback is slow. With LabCards, when a lab test is performed the results are immediately shared with veterinarians, who can quickly prescribe relevant treatments and follow-up on the progress with the farmer. This tool, which we describe as “animal health in your pocket” brings value for farmers and veterinarians as it helps to improve health management of the farm.”

said Francis Kalule, Diagnostics Manager (A.L.P.H.A. Uganda).

To help extend vaccination which prevents disease and increases the overall health of animals, the A.L.P.H.A. team launched a pilot in Tanzania where vet paraprofessionals help manage vaccine education, storage and administration for farmers in communities.  This new entrepreneurial program helps not only enhance biosecurity measures on farms in facilitating access to quality medicines and technical experience, and it also supports employment of young people.  More than 100 farms in Tanzania have benefitted so far, and the model will be rolled out to other countries in 2020.

“LabCards” and the pooled vaccinator program support the key pillars of the A.L.P.H.A. initiative: Veterinary Medicines & Services, Diagnostic Networks, and Training & Education. These fundamentals will make a positive difference for smallholder farmers in Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Tanzania. Unique in our approach is the sustainability angle which is essential to encourage a mindset shift in the livestock sector towards entrepreneurialism and ownership. Empowerment of the farming and veterinary sectors is critical to enable sub-Saharan Africa to meet the rising productivity needs of the region in a sustainable manner.”

concluded Dr. Gabriel Varga, Regional Director Sub-Saharan Africa at Zoetis and lead of the A.L.P.H.A. initiative.

Source: Zoetis

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Date:               Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Time:              9:00 a.m. EDT

Location:        Online – Register Here

Participants:

• Todd Van Hoose, President and CEO, Farm Credit Council
• Zippy Duvall, President, American Farm Bureau Federation
• Mike Stranz, Vice President of Advocacy, National Farmers Union
• Cheryl L. Eschbach, Director, Health and Nutrition Institute, Michigan State University Extension
• Courtney Cuthbertson, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, University of Illinois Extension

Background

Following the December 2019 announcement of a new farm stress management online training course for employees and members of Farm Credit, Farm Bureau and Farmers Union, these organizations have launched a free online training course available to the general public.

Developed by Michigan State University Extension (MSU Extension) and University of Illinois Extension (Illinois UIExtension), the course provides participants with skills to understand the sources of stress, manage their own stress, learn the warning signs of stress and suicide, identify effective communication strategies, reduce stigma related to mental health concerns and connect farmers and ranchers with appropriate mental health and other resources.

Contacts:

Mark Hayes, Farm Credit, 574.265.3989, markhayes@fccouncil.com

Ray Atkinson, Farm Bureau, 757.576.1383, raya@fb.org

Hannah Packman, Farmers Union, 303.819.8737, hpackman@nfudc.org

Source: Farm Credit Council

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The official representative of Afimilk in the south of Russia – dealer company YugAfimilk – undertook all works on organization and technical support of the seminar. The training took place in the Krasnodar office of Afimilk and was conducted by Afimilk specialists.

The seminar was titled: Herd Management with AfiFarm for Advanced Users. Therefore, this time, only the specialists who already had experience working with AfiFarm came to improve their skills in using the program.

Veterinarians, inseminators, livestock specialists, breeders and managers from nine farms of the Krasnodar Territory came to get acquainted with new or already familiar, but improved and more convenient features of the program.

Afimilk expresses gratitude to its official dealer, YugAfimilk, for the high level of organization of the event and is confident that all participants in the seminar will join this.

Source: Afimilk

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