Midlands based car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) partnered with their local college of Solihull College & University Centre to offer its employees the chance to improve their skills as auto electricians.
The College offered JLR the chance to complete a 10 week training course at its Woodlands Campus in Smith’s Wood at the beginning of this year and it proved to be a great success. 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 had been 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 Level 2 Diploma in Auto Electrical & Mobile Electrical Principles as part of the programme.
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.
To show their appreciation to the College, JLR invited Programme Manager Brett Jim, along with Business Skills Advisor, Paul Bates along to their Castle Bromwich site in Birmingham to visit the JLR employees in their workplace and present them with certificates for passing the course.
Many of the employees hope to progress to secure a level 3 qualification in the future and thanked the College for the opportunity.
Find out more about Solihull College & University Centre’s Motor Vehicle & Motor Sport courses.
