Midlands based car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have partnered with their local college to offer employees the chance to improve their skills as auto electricians.
Solihull College & University Centre offered JLR the chance to complete a 10 week training course at its Woodlands Campus in Smith’s Wood. The campus features state-of-the-art workshops with a range of vehicles for its students to work on as well as expert tutors with years of industry experience.
It was identified by JLR that there was a shortfall of qualified auto electricians within the company and that there was a need to improve the skill base of rectifiers for its long-term production plans. Employees applied to begin the programme from both the Solihull and Castle Bromwich factories and the first cohort began at the College in November of last year.
Sixteen auto electricians attended the programme and were able to draw on the knowledge of the lecturers at Solihull College & University Centre such as Programme Manager for Motor Vehicle, Brett Jim.
Brett commented: “We are extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside a global brand within the automotive sector. The expertise we have at Solihull College & University Centre and the state-of-the-art facilities in Motor Vehicle have enabled us to achieve a 100% pass rate across the programme. It has been delightful to have played a part in the training of the next generation of Jaguar Land Rover auto electricians.”
All sixteen JLR employees passed the course with flying colours, giving them the necessary skills to return to the company and contribute to the future workforce of the business. They also gained an NVQ Level 2 Certificate as part of the qualification.
The employees were also able to share their industry knowledge with the current 16-19 year old students studying Motor Vehicle at the College, enabling them to get an insight into working for the prestigious company.
Before leaving, the JLR employees even bought a cake for the trainers to show their appreciation. All are now back on site and are receiving on-job training with the existing auto electricians with an expectation that the next 15 employees will start their training at the College shortly.
Find out more about Solihull College & University Centre’s Motor Vehicle & Motor Sport courses.
