Youngsters gear up for engineering careers
Jaguar Land Rover has opened a brand new £650,000 Education Business Partnership Centre at its Engine Manufacturing Centre near Wolverhampton.
The company is in partnership with Staffordshire County Council, South Staffordshire Council, Wolverhampton City Council and Wolverhampton College.
The new Education Centre will deliver school visits, work placements and bespoke education programmes for thousands of young people across the region each year.
Dr. Ralf Speth, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover, commented, ‘Jaguar Land Rover is a business driven by design, technology and innovation. It is critical that we attract talented young people to become the next generation of engineers to support our growing business.
‘The Engine Manufacturing Centre will employ 1,400 people and will offer excellent employment opportunities to young people through our award-winning traineeship, apprenticeship and graduate programmes. I’m delighted to open the Education Business Partnership Centre, which will play a key role in nurturing future talent and inspiring more young people to pursue engineering careers.’
The new Education Business Partnership Centre uses a range of cutting-edge technologies such as a holographic table which projects images of Jaguar Land Rover’s Ingenium engines to show how they are manufactured. iPad stations using bespoke modules will be on-hand for students to complete when they return from facility tours and young people will also be able to learn how to control and manipulate miniature robots, similar to those used in the facility.
Peter Bilson, deputy leader and cabinet member for City Assets, Wolverhampton City Council, speaking on behalf of Jaguar Land Rover Education Business Partnership Centre partners Staffordshire County Council, South Staffordshire Council Wolverhampton City Council and Wolverhampton College commented: “We are delighted to work in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover to support its school education programme. We are committed to providing the best possible educational opportunities for local young people across Staffordshire and the West Midlands and the Education Business Partnership Centre will be hugely valuable reinforcing the importance of STEM subjects to modern industry, highlighting career opportunities and helping young people strengthen their employability skills as they prepare for the world of work.’
Jaguar Land Rover’s ‘Inspiring Tomorrow’s Engineers’ programme promotes learning and engagement in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects in collaboration with schools and colleges to inspire young people to consider careers in engineering and manufacturing. Key elements of the programme include dedicated Education Centres in the local areas close to Jaguar Land Rover facilities and imaginative ‘Challenge’ projects for groups of school pupils.
