www.engineeringdiploma.com

KNOWSLEY

Driving the Diploma

Jaguar Land Rover’s education centre in Knowsley was one of the winning employers at the National Delivering Diplomas Awards 2010. We paid a visit to find out about their long history of engaging with schools

W

hen staff from a secondary school belonging to the Knowsley Engineering Partnership struggled

to teach a Diploma unit because of timetabling problems and a teacher absence recently, Marion Thomas and her team of education officers stepped in. A group of Level 2 Diploma in Engineering

students, who were taking a unit in maintenance as part of their Diploma, spent the first week of their Easter break at the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Education Business Centre, where Ms Thomas is the manager. “The school had a few problems and

there was a risk the students would not get the marks they needed for their Diploma,” she said. “So the young people did their guided learning hours here. They had been here before to visit and actually volunteered themselves to do the unit during their holidays.” The JLR Centre, which is based at the

Halewood Automotive Factory on Merseyside, has a long history of working with local schools and promoting engineering. It started out supporting design and

technology students during the former TVEI programme a decade ago, before moving on to Modern Apprenticeships. Now it is an integral part of the Knowsley Engineering Curriculum Model, advising on and providing many work- related activities for Diploma students. A total of 37 students in Knowsley are

doing the Diploma in Engineering at Level 2 – three of them girls – and a further eight are studying the subject at Level 3. The Centre has been active in the

consortium throughout, hosting monthly meetings and providing refreshments on site, allowing staff from the four schools and college to concentrate fully on developing the course, away from distractions. Tom Riley, the Diploma in Engineering

line lead for Knowsley, said the employer engagement shown by the JLR Centre was second to none. “All JLR staff, including the factory

workforce, engage the learners, raising learner aspirations and treating them with respect, while encouraging mature behaviour

in return,” he said. “They are treated as fellow workers, encouraging strong working principles.” He said the students who participated in the

Easter classes had worked to “an exceptionally high standard”, which had exceeded that of their colleagues who had done the same unit at their respective schools. One of the units being delivering by the Centre at Level 2

is Engineering Applications of Computers,

during which students receive 10 consecutive days of work experience in a variety of departments. During this course, the Centre arranged for students to visit Coca Cola Enterprises in Wakefield so they could see different engineering computer applications. “I would never have been able to arrange

this, but through its professional connections the Centre made this possible, giving our students a fantastic opportunity,” Mr Riley said. “It gave them suitable experience of different working practices in engineering to enable the learners to complete the assessment for this unit.” Another opportunity presented itself when

the Centre arranged for a representative from Dupont Paints in Germany to give a talk on how paint is lacquered on to the shell of the car body. Mr Riley added: “The JLR Centre really provides an enhanced curriculum experience. You can talk about engineering until you’re blue in the face in the classroom, but until young people see it in action for themselves they are unlikely to get a good idea of what it is all about. “Jaguar provides enthusiastic and innovative

delivery of teaching and learning, which is very engaging for the students. “They have also provided all learners

with green work shirts and black sweatshirts

Above and beyond: Jaguar Land Rover’s Marion Thomas collects her Employer of the Year award from employer champion Clive Jones

embroidered with the company logo, so they really feel part of the team.” But what is in it for Jaguar? Ms Thomas said working with schools and

colleges was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility agenda, which it took very seriously. This had not diminished with the change of ownership, following the take- over by Tata. “We also want to recruit the very best people as apprentices and graduates,” she added. “One of the problems with a subject

like engineering is in attracting a diverse workforce, because a lot of young people really don’t know what it’s all about. “Some of the work we have done with

young people has been quite transformational, because it has given them first-hand experience. And when we ask them what was the most significant aspect of their studies, they often cite the work experience. It takes them out of their normal environment and gives them a real challenge. “By giving them access to the business at

an early stage, we are preparing them for the world of work in a very hands-on way.”

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