OMAHA, NE -- Providing opportunities for all talents, strengths and interests is how a community improves itself and its citizens. In fact, according to ApprenticeshipUSA, there were 4,332 registered apprentices who served in the agriculture industry in 2024. This was a 56 percent increase since 2019.

On April 30, 2025, Nebraska officials recently gathered in Omaha to discuss the economic and business benefits of trade school partnerships with representatives from the German American Chamber of Commerce, area business leaders and trade school educators during a roundtable discussion sponsored by CLAAS and Graepel North America. This event was the first stop on the Skills Initiative Roadshow 2025, a multi-site tour aimed at fostering the development of regional partnerships between German companies and U.S. apprenticeship providers.

“We know that as equipment advances and more innovations come online, we are going to need a highly trained workforce to build and maintain these machines,” says Matthias Ristow, President and Managing Director Business Administration at CLAAS Omaha Inc. “We hope by sharing how we have implemented educational programs like this encourages others to consider an apprenticeship program. Through our program CLAAS can not only teach participants the skills they need to do the job as well as critical thinking and communications skills that benefit the company and the worker.”

CLAAS Hosts International Discussion on National Apprenticeship Day