INDUSTRY FOCUS
The announcement came days after Chancellor of the Exchequer
Philip Hammond’s Autumn Statement, which announced the government’s intention to invest in infrastructure and a focus on promoting research and development.
Securing the future Jaguar Land Rover’s plans for international growth must be supported by innovation in new products, engines and environmental technologies. As the UK’s leading investor in automotive research and development, the company is delivering breakthroughs in engineering, performance and sustainability, and is committed to encouraging young people to become the next generation of engineers and technologists, to sustain the business over the long term. The Royal Academy of Engineering predicts that the UK will
face a shortfall of 200,000 qualified engineers by 2020. JLR is working with government and other agencies to identify ways of addressing this. It is also training and building the skills of young people, new recruits, and its existing workforce. In collaboration with schools and colleges, the firm’s Inspiring
Tomorrow’s Engineers (ITE) programme promotes learning and engagement in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects, to encourage young people to consider careers in engineering or manufacturing. Key elements of the programme include dedicated education centres in the areas close to JLR facilities, imaginative projects for school pupils, and a wide variety of work experience opportunities for young people of different ages. The programme won Business in the Community’s (BITC)national
eeducation award in 2013, in recognition of the positive impact its long- term school partnerships were having on increasing employability skills and promoting engineering careers to young people. These initiatives, which engaged 300,000 students globally
in 2015, are complemented by a range of opportunities for older students, such as apprenticeship programmes, graduate training schemes, and partnerships with universities and colleges.
Supporting UK and global growth Reflecting its long-term commitment to education and the community, JLR became, in 2010, the first car manufacturer in the UK to achieve the highly regarded BITC CommunityMark, widely recognised as the national standard of excellence for community investment. In 2015, it received a Platinum Big Tick rating in BITC’s Corporate Responsibility Index for excellent, responsible business practice. These achievements recognise JLR’s investment in community
programmes, including Education Business Partnership Centres (EBPC), employee volunteering programmes, national educational initiatives, and a wide range of community partnerships.
Said engineering director Nick Rogers, “We firmly believe
that our future prosperity lies in innovation, engineering and the application of science. We are also convinced they play a crucial role in the UK’s global competitiveness. “We employ thousands of engineers working in the UK, and are
investing more than £3 billion this year in engineering, research and product development. We will be filing for registration of more than 100 patents per year for our developments, and many of our technical specialists are global leaders in their fields. “We work with more than 40 academic institutions, as well as
with government, in the pursuit of new scientific and technological solutions to improve the performance and efficiency of our cars and manufacturing processes. “It is critical to us that the UK maintains a strong focus on the
teaching and nurturing of science. I believe the challenges the car industry faces over the next 20 years make it the best time for almost a century to be an automotive engineer. “The world is looking to us to make personal mobility more
sustainable, and we can only do that through the application of science,” he added. As JLR continues to expand globally, it is widening its STEM
education programme by rolling it out internationally, helping to nurture home-grown talent in the countries in which it operates.
Forging partnerships Local to its manufacturing plants and engineering facilities, JLR has invested in six Education Business Partnership Centres (EBPCs) as part of a partnership with Birmingham Metropolitan College. The centres provide learning facilities and resources for children from primary-school age to 18+. Groups of students from local schools visit the centres for a day
or part of a day with their teachers, to learn about engineering, manufacturing and automotive business-related activities. Teachers can use the facilities to complement their own courses or utilise tailor-made courses prepared by the centres. “Jaguar Land Rover invests around £2 million each year in
education-related programmes,” said Les Ratcliffe, head of community relations. “Our education centres help young people gain a wider understanding of how vehicles are designed and manufactured, and inspire some to consider a career in the automotive industry. “Over 20,000 young people and 3,000 teachers visit our six
centres each year. The programme reaches students beyond those who visit the centres, as teachers take what they have learned back to the classroom to share with other children at their schools.” JLR recently opened its first overseas EBPC at its manufacturing
plant in Itatiaia, Brazil. This will engage with up to 12,000 young people annually. Later this decade, an EBPC will open at the new manufacturing plant in Slovakia.
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