Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) opened its doors today to a host of budding engineers as the automotive industry pioneers government’s first ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ initiative. As the UK’s largest automotive employer, JLR provided school children from around the Midlands and Northwest a unique insight in to the exciting and dynamic world of advanced engineering and manufacturing.
Throughout the remainder of October, JLR’s Educational Business Partnership Centres, located at each of the company’s engineering and advanced manufacturing plants, will provide more than 120 year 10 and 11 students with a ‘hands on’ programme of activities, including CAD CAM and safety test challenges plus tours of the respective sites.
‘See Inside Manufacturing’ is a collaborative initiative between the UK’s leading advanced manufacturers and government to promote manufacturing excellence, challenge perceptions of the industry and dispel the myth that Britain no longer makes anything.
Commenting on the series of events Business Secretary, Vince Cable said, “For too many young people the word manufacturing is a turn off. A worrying poll out last week found that only one out of ten children aged 11 to 14 thought that engineering was an important job and even ranked being a politician as a better choice of career!”
“We are determined to shake up old fashioned views of manufacturing. Through the Government’s See Inside Manufacturing campaign and Jaguar Land Rover’s national activities, we will give young people the chance to see the exciting face of modern manufacturing which is highly skilled, high tech and highly paid.”
Pushing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) agenda has long been a firm priority for JLR, as demonstrated by it being the first car manufacturer in the UK to achieve the highly regarded Community Mark, which is widely recognised as the national standard of excellence for community investment and was given in recognition of JLR’s considerable investment in community programmes, including its Education Business Partnership Centres, employee volunteering programmes, national educational initiatives and a wide range of community partnerships.
“This initiative is a clear indication of the value advanced manufacturing has to the UK economy and as the UK’s largest investor in automotive research and development Jaguar Land Rover has a critical role to play in pushing the skills agenda,” said Mike Wright, Executive Director, JLR. “Only through engagement with young people, be it at school or university, can we develop a truly capable and skilled work force able to compete on a global stage.”
To find out more about ‘See Inside Manufacturing’, click here.
