Carmaker Jaguar Land Rover will take on 650 apprentices at Halewood in Merseyside and other UK sites in September. Tony McDonough reports
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will take 650 apprentices into its UK operations in September.
This is in addition to its recent recruitment drive for more than 250 electrification engineering roles to support the development of its next generation electric vehicles.
JLR’s Reimagine strategy has a focus on recruiting a new generation of talented people into its business as it accelerates its transformation towards net zero.
It has also welcomed 200 undergraduates into the UK business in the last few weeks to take up roles during July and August. These were drawn from diverse backgrounds across the country.
JLR operates the Halewood factory in Merseyside where more than 3,500 workers assemble the Range Rover, Evoque and the Land Rover Discovery Sport. It has pledged a £15bn investment to create a new generation of electric vehicles.
There are also assembly plants at Castle Bromwich and Solihull in the West Midlands and the 650 apprentices and degree apprentices joining in September will work across all areas of the business.
It recruited the 200 undergraduates by “proactively engaging” with students across the UK, encouraging diversity and making the application process more equitable.
JLR says a truly diverse workforce is key to unlocking successful innovation in the business by “challenging conventional thinking, encouraging fresh ideas and promoting creative problem‑solving”.
The recruitment forms part of JLR’s Reimagine strategy and the modern luxury car manufacturer will offer electric versions of all its models by 2030, a significant step towards enabling JLR to become carbon net zero by 2039.
Thomas Mueller, executive director of product engineering at JLR, said: “As our industry continues to transform at pace, we are committed to championing the diversity that strengthens innovation and helps evolve our leadership team.
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“The recent recruitment of 200 undergraduates from diverse backgrounds is a great display of our commitment to improving opportunities for groups underrepresented in the industry.
They include women, those from different nationalities and socioeconomic backgrounds and other underrepresented groups. We continue to inspire young people today and provide a platform for them to grow into leaders of tomorrow.”