Jaguar Land Rover has launched its Academy, the first of its kind in the UK automotive sector, and WMG at the University of Warwick is a key partner in the new initiative. The new Academy will offer all Jaguar Land Rover workers the opportunity to take part in continuous development programmes to enhance their careers and provide the skills the company needs.

With an annual learning and development outlay of £100 million, Jaguar Land Rover invests heavily in skills. The creation of the Academy gives renewed focus to that investment and will deliver improved skills for the long-term by strengthening the links between training and business needs. All training provided through the Jaguar Land Rover Academy will meet quality levels defined by a recognised and standardised accreditation process.

 

Commenting on the launch, Jaguar Land Rover Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ralf Speth said: " We are investing significantly in the future of Jaguar Land Rover by creating very special vehicles for our discerning customers and, just as importantly, by employing and developing the highly skilled people that will help ensure our continued success. For me, our workforce is our most crucial asset and I see the Jaguar Land Rover Academy as the lifeblood of our organisation. The aim of the Academy is to maximise the talents of our workforce and give them new chances to develop their careers to the full. Through providing opportunities for continuous learning from recruitment to retirement, the Academy will ensure that we have the skills needed to compete globally.”

Chairman of WMG, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya commented: “We have a symbiotic relationship with Jaguar Land Rover and I admire the company’s vision in providing this focus and governance for its learning and development. The Academy will be the first of its kind in the UK automotive sector and will provide excellent opportunities for the company’s current workforce and future employees.”

Skills Minister, Nick Boles, praised the initiative saying: “Launching the Jaguar Land Rover Academy will ensure the industry has the skills it needs for years to come. The Academy highlights the company’s commitment to inspiring the next generation of engineers and manufacturers. Companies like Jaguar Land Rover are encouraging talented people to build lifelong careers and in turn boost the country’s productivity.”

The Academy will offer training for Jaguar Land Rover employees at all stages of their working lives with the company, whether they are new recruits or more experienced employees seeking to move to the next level in the organisation. Their “Lifelong Learning” will follow a structured plan that is tailored to the needs of each function, delivering training that is relevant to the changing business requirements and enabling employees to progress their careers at Jaguar Land Rover. Training currently includes 8,800 workers undertaking academic and vocational qualifications ranging from NVQ2s to PhDs. Of those, over half are following undergraduate or postgraduate level studies.

The new Academy will be run in partnership with the WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) at the University of Warwick, building on Jaguar Land Rover’s strong ties with the University. The Academy’s technical and vocational curriculum will be co-ordinated from WMG’s facility at the university. With its beginnings in the UK, the Jaguar Land Rover Academy will expand its reach to the company’s global workforce of 36,000 people.

One example of WMG’s work with in the new Academy is the Technical Accreditation Scheme. The company works with WMG (and nine other partner universities) to deliver master’s degree level training modules for its engineers throughout their careers. This year alone, some 4,480 employees will follow courses offered under the scheme, which was launched in 2010. The same modules are being offered to employees of Jaguar Land Rover’s suppliers. Just a few months ago Howard Freeman became the very first MSc graduate from the TAS programme at WMG . Howard is an Electrical Integration Engineer who lives in Leamington and works in Jaguar Land Rover’s Electrical, Electronic & Software Engineering department in Gaydon. He completed 8 modules and a project ‘Novel New Product Development under a Time Pressured Schedule’ to be awarded his MSc in Automotive Technology.

A further example of WMG’s work with Jaguar Land Rover in the new Academy is the Applied Engineering Programme part-time degree. The degree is taken by higher apprentices and is also available to more experienced staff looking to develop their engineering skills. Jaguar Land Rover is one of ten companies who currently support their staff on this four year programme which started in 2013. This year 170 Jaguar Land Rover apprentices and other staff will be studying their undergraduate degree at WMG. Successful participants are awarded an accredited BEng degree by the University of Warwick.

The company also plays a lead role in facilitating the development of the supply chain skills that are vital for the UK automotive sector’s continued success. As part of Jaguar Land Rover’s vision for the Academy, its growing supplier upskilling programmes, retailer apprenticeships and other aspects of the company’s wider skills outreach will also be included in the curriculum.

For further information please contact:

Lisa Barwick, Head of Marketing and Communications,
WMG, University of Warwick
Tel: 024 76 524721 or 07824 540845 L.Barwick@warwick.ac.uk

Or

Peter Dunn, Director of Press and Policy, University of Warwick
Tel UK: 024 76523708 office 07767 655860 mobile
Tel Overseas: +44 (0)24 76523708 office +44 (0)7767 655860 mobile/cell
Email: p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

Ken McConomy, Jaguar Land Rover Head of Corporate Relations: +44 7714 725 236 E: kmcconom@jaguarlandrover.com

Joan Chesney, Jaguar Land Rover Senior Communications Officer: +44 7467 448 229 E: jchesney@jaguarlandrover.com

 

Notes to editors

Apprenticeships and graduate programme

• Jaguar Land Rover is amongst the UK’s largest recruiters of graduates and apprentices, taking on 2,500 over the past five years. These include some 1,600 that have joined the company’s graduate programme and 900 advanced and higher / degree apprentices that have started their career with the company.

• The advanced apprenticeship is a four-year programme, aimed at GCSE students, leading to qualifications that include NVQ3. The higher / degree apprenticeship is a six-year programme aimed at A-Level entrants and leading to a fully sponsored BEng degree in Applied Engineering from the University of Warwick.

• In addition, Jaguar Land Rover trains over 2,000 intermediate apprentices each year. The one-year intermediate apprenticeship leads to an NVQ2 in Lean techniques and Technical Certificate at level 2.

• In 2015 the company welcomed its largest intake of undergraduates, with 230 beginning work placements at the company.

• Widely recognised as one of the country’s leading employers, Jaguar Land Rover is the highest-ranking automotive manufacturer in the prestigious Times Top 100 List of Graduate Employers, moving up to 16^th position in 2014 / 15. The business is also 6^th in The Guardian‘s Top 300 list of Graduate Employers for 2015 / 16.

 

 

Other skills outreach activities

• In 2014 alone, Jaguar Land Rover engaged with 300,000 young people through its Inspiring Tomorrow’s Engineers education programme. The programme helps to address the UK skills gap by demonstrating the wide array of career opportunities available in the industry through STEM challenges, school activities and work placements. The programme will engage two million young people across the world between 2013 and 2020.

• Jaguar Land Rover employees spend up to 16 hours of work time per year on approved team or individual community volunteering projects, which include personal development opportunities and leadership and project management skills.

 

Awards

• Sector skills body, SEMTA, recognised Jaguar Land Rover’s work on upskilling people working in the supply chain and driving up apprenticeship standards with two trophies in its 2015 SEMTA Skills Awards.

• In addition, Alex Tomlinson, a third year Higher Apprentice at Jaguar Land Rover, was named overall Best of British Engineering and won the Apprentice of The Year category.

 

About WMG

WMG was founded by Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya in 1980 to help reinvigorate UK manufacturing. From its inception WMG’s mission has been to improve the competitiveness of organisations through the application of value adding innovation, new technologies and skills deployment, bringing academic rigour to industrial and organisational practice. The Group has grown into an international role model for how universities and business can successfully work together. An academic department of the University of Warwick, today WMG is one of the world’s leading research groups. There are over 500 people working across six buildings on the Warwick campus plus collaborative centres in seven countries. WMG has an annual programme of £180m which includes industrial and in-kind support.

 

PR361 9^th September 2015