Like many people who grew up in rural Kansas, opening gates was the first job I had on my grandparents’ ranch. I obtained my title of “gate getter” early, but it took some time before I was able to open all the gates on the ranch and even longer to recognize I was part of an informal apprenticeship.

The more substantial gates around the corral made out of scrap iron and hung on actual hinges were the easiest to unlatch and swing open. At some of the far-flung pastures, however, entrances were guarded by flimsy wire gates, which are really just a removable section of barbed wire pulled taut with a cheater bar and secured with a loop of wire.

Strength certainly helped in opening and closing wire gates, but there also was a skill to getting your grip on the lever and flipping the loop to release or close the gate. Eventually I grew enough to have the strength and skill to open all the gates.

New challenges replaced the gates once they became easy to open. There were instructions on how to operate a wire stretcher, weld a uniform bead and operate all manner of machinery.

The only connection between all these jobs is that I started with no experience, but I was lucky enough to have grandparents who were willing to teach me and patient enough to allow me to make mistakes along the way and learn there were no shortcuts for doing any of the jobs the right way.

We never would have described the progression from gate opener to running the hay baler as an apprenticeship, but all it lacked was classroom instruction. And maybe some structure at times.

Those small issues aside, my time as a ranch hand was very similar to an apprenticeship where I assumed more responsibility and increased wages through hands-on training provided by my grandparents.

While they may not have always been labeled as such, apprenticeships are merely a formal way to do what agriculture and small businesses have always done well ­— pass knowledge from one generation to the next.

Kansas Farm Bureau’s Rural Kansas Apprenticeship Program (RKAP) was created to provide a structured path for the long-standing practice of pairing those just starting out with experienced professionals.

Apprentices gain skills, but they also gain other strengths along the way like judgment and confidence while employers can offer more than just a job ­— they have a chance to help someone craft a career in rural Kansas.

With this being National Apprenticeship Week, it’s a good time to recognize the success of RKAP since it was founded in late 2022 with a goal of building a skilled and loyal workforce in rural Kansas. As the first apprenticeship focused on rural communities and businesses, RKAP has gained traction with employers and apprentices.

But it’s still opening gates. The program is learning on the job alongside the apprentices and employers. In the past year, RKAP has received a nearly $400,000 grant from the Patterson Family Foundation to help spread the word about apprenticeships and has strengthened Kansas Farm Bureau’s collaboration with Farm Bureau Financial Services agents through a sales associate apprenticeship.

This appreciation is a reminder that we all learn by doing, whether it’s opening gates to pastures or opening gates to improve the rural workforce in Kansas. Learn more at www.kfb.org/RKAP.