Search is on for fresh JLR apprentices

The West Midlands-based firm welcomed almost 500 new graduates and apprentices at the beginning of this month, but chiefs are now on the hunt for new recruits for next year.

JLR offers graduate, undergraduate and apprenticeship programmes to students of all abilities, and is also looking to attract more women into the engineering business.

The firm has an industry-leading completion rate with 90 per cent of all apprentices finishing their programme, compared to a national average of 67 per cent.

The four-year advanced apprenticeship focuses on skilled trades such as mechatronics maintenance and the six-year degree apprenticeship is designed to fill a range of engineering roles where skills are currently scarce, such as software engineering, design and development specialists.

To apply for the 2019 graduate, undergraduate or apprenticeship programmes, visit jaguarlandrovercareers.com

Applications opened on September 12 and will close on December 31.

West Midland-based luxury car company Jaguar Land Rover has welcomed almost 500 new graduates and apprentices this week.

The company said will work in all areas of the business and “will play a vital role in shaping the autonomous, connected, electrified future of Britain’s biggest car maker”.

Induction

During their first week all the new intake took part in an induction programme including driving experiences, visits to the manufacturing sites such as the state-of-the-art engine factory on Wolverhampton’s i54 site and talks from Jaguar Land Rover’s senior leadership team

More than 20 per cent of this year’s intake are female, as Jaguar Land Rover seeks to attract more women to the company and the broader automotive sector. Ian Harnett, JLR’s executive director for human resources, said: “It’s crucial that we encourage more young people, both men and women, to consider the automotive industry as an exciting career choice.”

“Our graduate, undergraduate and apprenticeship programmes secure our future pipeline of engineering talent and the delivery of innovative new Jaguar Land Rover technologies.”

Almost 300 new graduates will undertake a two-year programme designed to give them broad experience of the Jaguar Land Rover business as well as structured personal and professional development. More than a third of this year’s intake have previously taken part in the company’s undergraduate scheme while at university.

Earlier this summer, the company welcomed 370 new undergraduates for year-long placements. JLR has also welcomed nearly 200 new apprentices to its range of apprenticeship programmes which combine learning and on-the-job experience.

The latest recruitment drive means that 2,500 graduates and apprentices have been hired by Jaguar Land Rover in the last five years. More than 1,100 apprentices are currently undergoing training across the company’s nine UK sites.