Category: Body Engineering

Apprentice, Body Engineering, Early Careers, Electrical Engineering, Engineering, Hints and Tips, Home Page, People, Technology, United Kingdom, Who We Are

“Physical training taught me that hard work and perseverance always pays off and that failure is just a route to success.”

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

Leah, Jaguar Land Rover degree apprentice, currently on her 6th-year placement in Electrification Services. In her spare time, Leah loves to train and regularly competes in Olympic Weightlifting and CrossFit.

Her top tip for you is ‘Back yourself and take time to understand your personal strengths and weaknesses. Think about the value that these skills will bring to Jaguar Land Rover and its mission.’

We recently conducted a short interview to found out a little bit more about Leah, both in and out of Jaguar Land Rover.

Q: What position did you start in and what is your position now? Please describe your current responsibilities. 

I am a 6th-year AEP Degree Apprentice and I am currently on placement in Electrification Services, whose mission is to improve the EV ownership experience for customers through services. I am specifically focussing on improving the accessibility of charging infrastructure, which requires understanding the needs of those traditionally excluded from the EV ownership experience and creating a solution to not only help the exception but improve the experience for everyone. I joined Jaguar Land Rover in my home department of Vehicle Safety, where I essentially crashed cars; planning and coordinating full vehicle and component tests to ensure the safety of our vehicles. I have had the pleasure of being involved in several other areas of the business on placements within Special Vehicle Operations, Critical Concerns, Manufacturing, and Circular Economy.

Q: Are you involved in any other projects / networks? If so, please describe what they are and what your contributions are. 

SHINE Network – I recently joined as a participator to reduce assumptions when designing for inclusivity. The network supports colleagues with disabilities, whether hidden, visible or both.

Women in Engineering – I attend their annual conference, where they aim to accelerate an inclusive future for women in engineering.

Q: What do you like about working here?

It is exciting to be involved with the company during such a huge change toward electrification and sustainability. The people I work with are truly passionate about their work and are invested in my growth.

Q: What are your career aspirations? Do you feel that you get the necessary support from your current management / department to help achieve your learning & development goal? 

I see myself moving to a management role within the business, I feel I am a natural leader and have the wider knowledge to understand the bigger picture of the company. There are not enough females in this industry, so I want to encourage more young women to join the sector by acting as a role model. I would like to mentor and guide others to becoming the best version of themselves both in Jaguar Land Rover and life too. I would love the opportunity to work overseas at some point, so if the opportunity were to present itself I would work to make it happen. I think the people around me are invested in my growth, so if I work hard to achieve this, then it will be possible.

Q: Describe your current team / department, and what makes it stand out from our competition? 

The common theme amongst the teams I have been in is their passion for the work they are undertaking. The team I am in now is truly passionate about improving the charging experience for customers and understands that this is vital for the success of the business. This belief will make the team work harder and more efficiently to achieve their objectives.

Q: Tell us 3 interesting facts about yourself.

In my spare time, I love to train and compete in Olympic Weightlifting and CrossFit, and I am a qualified personal trainer. Lifting is a huge passion of mine and is where most of my spare time goes. The gym teaches me that hard work and perseverance pays off and that failure is just a route to success. It also acts as stress relief on those busy work weeks!

Last year I completed some of my first solo travel trips abroad! My favourite place I have travelled to is Costa Rica, although I got stuck in customs on the way back due to some apparent dodgy fingerprints!

I also own a paddleboard that I take out with friends in the warmer months to take some time away from Instagram scrolling and into nature.

Q: What hints and tips can you share with the potential candidates who are going through the application / interview process? 

I was incredibly nervous when submitting my application, to the point that I nearly didn’t submit it as I thought ‘I wasn’t good enough’. Now I have taken time to understand my capabilities and value within the company, with some incredible mentors along the way. My biggest piece of advice is to back yourself and take time to understand your personal strengths and weaknesses. Think about the value that these skills will bring to Jaguar Land Rover and its mission.

Apply Jaguar Land Rover Apprenticeship Programmes here.

Body Engineering, Design, Early Careers, Home Page, Undergraduate

I’d say the most exciting part of the role so far is the environment I’m working in.

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‘Everything has been incredibly positive- at work and socially. In the office the team has welcomed me with open arms, the Early Careers team has done a fantastic job of setting up events so that we can all meet each other outside of work.

My role in Surfacing has been a steep learning curve. The programme we learn is so complex that we’ve had one-on-one training for 3 months. I’ve just graduated from that though and, having got to grips with the programme now, I can say it’s really rewarding and feels like a key role to finalise the design process.

I came from SolidWorks which is a parametric modeller and ICEM Surf I work with now is a freeform tool so it’s like a completely different language. Using nodes to control surfaces allows us to be incredibly accurate, which is the main priority for an A-Class Surfacer.

I’d say the most exciting part of the role so far is the environment I’m working in. The studios are state-of-the-art and the number of things I’ve seen that I can’t talk about really makes the role feel special! Moving forwards, I’m hoping to work on production vehicles so that in a few years, when the vehicles are out, I’ll be able to point and say, ‘I surfaced that.’

Applications for our undergraduate programmes are now open. Find out how you can define the future of movement here: Undergraduates (jaguarlandrovercareers.com)

Apprentice, Body Engineering, Early Careers, Engineering, People

From Young Women in the Know to Furthering Futures

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

What drew you to Jaguar Land Rover when you were seeking an apprenticeship?

I initially considered Jaguar Land Rover as it is a well-known, respected company and local to home. I discovered Jaguar Land Rover apprenticeships through the Young Women in the Know Programme (now Furthering Futures) where I spent a week visiting the Jaguar Land Rover sites, experiencing the facilities and meeting engineers. I was especially inspired by the apprentices I met who were only a couple of years older than me and working on some really exciting projects.  My impression of Jaguar Land Rover, was that it was an exciting, friendly and supportive place to work with a focus on developing people; somewhere I could see myself being happy. This course is the reason I am an apprentice at Jaguar Land Rover today!

Why did you decide to do a Degree Apprenticeship rather than go to university?

Although I was keen to do a degree, the traditional University route didn’t appeal to me. A degree apprenticeship offered the opportunity to work/earn money at the same time as studying meaning I could afford to move out and get a car. It also offered more practical experience and a direct route into employment, which was attractive because getting a job out of university is very competitive.

Describe a typical day at work

Typically I work 7:00am – 3:30pm. My day is split between a CAD role which involves developing designs in CAD, running CAE and analysing results and a Lead Engineer Role where I am responsible for delivering robust engineering releases and managing my parts through gateways. I tend to spend most of my time at my desk, but I am regularly on the phone, attend engineering reviews and meeting with my supplier.

As part of the apprenticeship, I attend University 6 weeks throughout the year and I spend a day a week working on my NVQ and work based projects.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

The most challenging part of my job is managing and prioritising my time between work, university, NVQ and other commitments. Although, I do enjoy being busy and I am never bored at work!

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Identify role models and speak to as many people as you can about careers and their experience. Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone because there are so many opportunities available!

What do you love most about working at Jaguar Land Rover?

I love that there is always something interesting to work on and another problem to solve. My team is supportive and fun to work with and I love that I can look back to 2014, when I start my apprenticeship, and see how much I have gained in confidence and capability.

Apprentice, Body Engineering, DFT, Electrical Engineering, Engineering, People, Software, Technology

Meet Our Pioneering Apprentices – Day 4 of 5

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

Mihaela Botnariuc successfully completed her Degree Apprenticeship in August 2018 and is now a Digital Optimisation Engineer in our Body Engineering team. As part of her technical training Mihaela gained a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Engineering from the University of Warwick, and is currently working towards a Master’s level qualification through our Technical Accreditation Scheme.

“In Body Engineering we are responsible for delivering almost everything the customer can see and touch on a vehicle. I work with the seating team to create digital models and tools that make our processes more efficient and enhance the overall quality of our products”.

“Our cars are beautiful, but to complete the package they require brilliant engineering. Even something as simple as choosing a material can be incredibly complex; we look at things like safety and crash performance, as well how the material looks, feels, and responds to customer usage over the lifetime of the vehicle”.

“At school I enjoyed the sciences, Maths, Art and Textiles, and saw myself going to university to study Mathematics. I didn’t know what I wanted to do afterwards and where I would apply my Maths degree once I obtained it. This was partly due to a lack of knowledge and experience of the wide applications of skills in the workplace.”

“I chose the Apprenticeship with Jaguar Land Rover because of my interest in STEM subjects and design. During the apprenticeship I had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects and experience the vast number of areas that are involved in developing our cars. This allowed me to grow my understanding and make a more informed decision about which areas were most suited to my interests and strengths.”

“My role involves both working alone, investigating and delivering solutions for the teams I work with, and being part of a team trying to understand our internal customer requirements and how those can be met. Therefore being a good communicator is important when interacting in teams and with colleagues whose requirements I am trying to meet. Independent thinking is also crucial when delivering solutions to customers.”

“I enjoy taking on new challenges and problem solving, which is essential for my role. In a typical week I work on a variety of projects including user trials, research projects, and projects that have Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) or Computer Aided Design (CAD) requirements. All this helps to meet design and aesthetic requirements for the components, while also balancing that with internal engineering standards for quality and safety.”

Mihaela is on the Degree Apprentice programme. To find out more about the Advanced, Higher and Degree Apprentice programmes we currently offer at Jaguar Land Rover, check out our careers website.

Apprentice, Body Engineering, Early Careers, Engineering, People, Who We Are

A day in the life of a second year apprentice

Jaguar Land Rover Careers


Who are you, and what do you do?

My name is Yassmine, I am a second year degree apprentice with body engineering within the cockpit and climate team.

What does your typical day look like?

I am in the second year of my degree apprenticeship which means I spend one day a week at college and the rest at work. At college I am working on completing my foundation degree in engineering. This includes subjects such as mathematics, electronics, materials and CAE (computer aided engineering). My day to day work mainly consists of using a software called CATIA to do computer aided design. The project I am currently working on is redesigning a new speaker grille to be situated on the centre of the dashboard. This consists of scoping the project by comparing the component to existing JLR and competitor products, discussing design features with senior members of the cockpit and climate team, and also looking into materials, mechanics and manufacturing processes.

That sounds interesting, and working on future products…

Yeah, It’s very interesting. I find it really exciting that I am only in my second year and I am already working on components that could be used in future vehicles that haven’t been released yet.

What led you to an apprenticeship at Jaguar Land Rover?

I went to a standard sixth form where my goal was to complete my A-levels and go to university – as had been my plan for my whole secondary school life. However, after not achieving the grades I wanted, I moved to UTC Oxfordshire where I was introduced to the idea of an apprenticeship.

I still applied to university, but also found out about the degree apprenticeship scheme that Jaguar Land Rover offered. This  intrigued me as I’d have the opportunity to get six years of technical experience working in an engineering role, a competitive salary, a bachelor’s degree in applied engineering from the University of Warwick (which was my University of preference anyway) and a job in the automotive industry.

What did you study at UTC Oxfordshire?

I studied a level 3 BTEC in engineering in which I received a triple distinction star, and A-level mathematics where I received an A. The entry requirements for the degree apprenticeship were D*D*D* and at least a C in mathematics so I was overjoyed when I received the grades I did.

How does university fit into your work life?

I will be starting at the University of Warwick in September of this year where I will do a week at university, followed by 5 weeks at JLR. This will continue for the remaining four years of my apprenticeship. I am really looking forward to this as, although I know it will be challenging, I want to progress my engineering knowledge to a more professional level and use this to help me at work.

I will need to attend lectures and complete assignments and exams during this time whilst also working, so I know that this is going to be very difficult. However I do not expect anything to be easy on this scheme, after all being part of such a prestigious apprenticeship is going to come with some hurdles which I am prepared to face.

You recently spoke at the Duke of York awards, how did that come about?

Yes that’s right, whilst I was at UTC Oxfordshire I worked on obtaining a gold Duke of York award by documenting and proving the engineering knowledge and experience I had worked for over the past couple of years. I was then awarded with a gold Duke of York award in 2017 at St James’ Palace in London. As well as this, I was also given an outstanding achievement award for Women in Engineering alongside 3 other girls from my college in the same event which was a pleasant surprise for us.

In January of 2019, representatives from the Baker Dearing Trust reached out to UTC Oxfordshire to invite us back to the Duke of York Awards to speak as UTC alumni. I attended this on the 30th January where I spoke about how the UTC helped me get to where I am now, and why I chose the degree apprenticeship route with Jaguar Land Rover.

Are you enjoying your Apprenticeship?

I really do enjoy it, I find exceptionally interesting and I’m learning and developing different skills every day. Having spent a year and a half on the apprenticeship scheme I cannot possibly imagine having followed a different route. This is because after gaining independence and a respectful role in a business such as this one I could not imagine myself going back to full time education as this would feel like backtracking to me.

I am looking forward to the remainder of my apprenticeship where I will be able to start studying for my Bachelor’s degree in applied engineering from the University of Warwick, as well as going on placement within other engineering departments at Jaguar Land Rover.

What advice would you give to someone considering options after school?

To me, this opportunity was a no-brainer! On the one hand, I had the option of going to university and studying full time, getting a degree within 3-4 years, and ending up in a lot of debt. On the other hand was this apprenticeship scheme which would take 6 years where I would get experience working in an engineering role, a generous salary, a fully funded degree from a Russell Group university, and the beginnings of a career.

I would suggest making sure you look into every available pathway and the specific benefits they could have for you. For the vast majority of my education I was focused on going down the standard University route and it was only within the last six months or so of my education that I decided on doing an apprenticeship and I’m so glad that I did. A degree apprenticeship at Jaguar Land Rover was a great option for me.