Category: United Kingdom

Apprentice, Early Careers, Engineering, Engineering, People, Powertrain, United Kingdom

Meet Nathan – Level 4 Propulsion Technician Apprentice

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

Q: What apprenticeship program are you on? 

I’m on the Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship, taking the Propulsion Technician pathway. 

Q: Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship? 

My sixth form had been very pro-university and didn’t really promote apprenticeships, but I wasn’t sure about whether university was for me or not, or even what course I’d do. I took a gap year, where my weekend job became full time, and decided that I quite liked working and earning. I’d heard about apprenticeships, so I did some research, and it just seemed to make sense. You get to do a job you like doing and earn the qualifications to go with it. 

Q: What has been your favourite moment at JLR so far? 

When I won tickets to see the Formula E Finale in London through a JLR competition. My department (Powertrain Test) works a lot with the FE team, and we often have their car running qualifying and race simulations on our dynos, to then see them compete in person was very cool.  

Q: What support have you received from colleagues during your apprenticeship?  

In this apprenticeship, you can be as independent or as supported as you like. If you want to go off and do your own project and learn something new – go for it. If you prefer to work more closely with your colleagues, get stuck in with what they are doing and learn from them, that’s also good. For the most part I have been the latter, and everyone has been very happy to pass along their knowledge and expertise. Even when working independently, there’ll be someone checking up on you, or offering help should you need it. 

Q: What advice would you give to your past self? 

It always pays to do research before an interview. But mainly, you get more out of the apprenticeship the more you put in, so it’s always good to do more placements or projects and to try something new. 

Apprentice, Early Careers, Engineering, Engineering, People, United Kingdom

Meet Matt – Level 4 Engineering Apprentice

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

Q: What apprenticeship program are you on?

Level 4 Apprenticeship Engineering. 

Q: Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?

I chose to do an apprenticeship because I would get the hands-on experience which goes a long way in this industry whilst simultaneously getting the qualifications necessary for the role. The no-student debt part was a nice bonus too. 

Q: What has been your favourite moment in JLR?

There’s no specific moment that is my favourite, my team is very interesting, and it is a highlight when I learn something new that better contributes to the effectiveness of my team. 

Q: What advice would you give to your past self?

Don’t be nervous, your team will give you everything you need to become an effective employee, a lot of systems can seem intimidating but don’t stress, it’s a lot simpler than you think but don’t get comfortable with the assignments. 

Q: What support have you received from colleagues during your apprenticeship?

I receive encouragement from my team when I design something, complete a job, or become a slightly more knowledgeable member of the team, this encourages me to push harder to become more experienced and knowledgeable in my designated role. 

Q: What is something you’ve learnt about JLR since joining?

For a company this large, you are given a lot of creative freedom in the work you do, everyone is willing to hear you out and it’s not like other apprenticeships where the apprentice is often ignored. JLR also has an immense number of resources and instructions that can help you if you forget how to do anything, these documents are also being constantly updated so it’s done in the easiest and most efficient way possible. 

Apprentice, Early Careers, United Kingdom

Meet Owen – Level 3 Advanced Automotive Apprentice

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

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

For the past year I have been undertaking the Level 3 automotive apprenticeship at JLR. I am just about to start my second year of the apprenticeship and I am currently on placements internally within Fen End, in order to gain the knowledge and understanding of the job and what I will be required to do as part of my job role.

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

I am currently involved in other projects/networks such as being a STEM ambassador, being part of the early careers ambassador group and also part of the Women in Engineering and Allies (WIE&A) group which will allow me to go to careers fairs and early careers events to further promote the apprenticeship and reach a wider audience.

Q: What do you like about working here?

The experience and opportunities which are available if you put the effort in are unrivalled. You can learn so much and gain valuable knowledge in a short period of time which will contribute massively to your career. There are also a lot of experienced technicians, engineers and managers who are willing to pass on their knowledge and help you to progress.

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

One day I aspire to become the director of Fen End, having worked my way up through the apprenticeship and potentially a degree, allowing me to build up the knowledge and experience to do a good job. All the managers and supervisors are very supportive in terms of progressing within the business and gaining knowledge and experience whether it be through events or activities both in house and in out of work opportunities.

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

My current department is EVO based at Fen End. I believe we stand out from all of our competition as we are trusted by many VIP’s and event teams to deal with the most luxurious and important “Special Vehicles” that go out to VIP’s, press teams and events. This makes us stand out because we certainly do have something special as a department to be trusted with these sorts of vehicles and people can be sure we will deal with them to an extremely high standard.

Q: Tell us a few interesting facts about yourself.

I enjoy being in the countryside and have a passion for cars which is very useful within this job. One of my achievements I am proud of is completing my Clay Pigeon Shooting Association Safety Officers Course 4 at a young age which allowed me to teach people how to shoot and gain knowledge and experience. These skills will be useful to me throughout life and in my current job role.

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

Any potential candidates who are going through the application/interview process should research the company and its history to find out what the company is after in terms of attributes and experiences of candidates. My advice is to then display when you have shown these qualities and talk about those experiences. You should also ensure you have a real passion for the company and what they do as this shows how special it is to you and if you enjoy your job, you are much more likely to work harder and become better at it.

Apprentice, Engineering, United Kingdom

‘The team are really welcoming and always willing to support apprentices in any way they can’

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

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

I joined JLR as an APEP apprentice in September of last year. Alongside studying for my degree, I spent my first 6 months training and developing to work in Vehicle Integration. I’m currently on a placement with the Visualisation team, we help engineers to solve technical problems and make key decisions through the use of virtual reality.

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

Alongside my day-to-day work, I’m also part of JLR’s Islamic Society. They provide prayer facilities and organise various events throughout the year – for example, our ISoc cricket team recently reached the semi-finals of a companywide cricket tournament!

Q: What do you like about working here?

I know it’s a cliché line, but every day is genuinely different. I’ve been lucky enough to have already worked on a variety of projects and to have met so many new people, just in my first year! I’m really looking forward to see where I go next.

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

I receive lots of support and guidance from my manager, mentor and older apprentices and I feel that I’ve already developed a lot because of this. I believe that my current support structure will help me to fulfil my future career ambitions and work my way up through the company.

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

In my opinion Vehicle Integration is the best department in the business, due to the large variety of different projects we work on. We work to integrate parts and create compromises between conflicting requirements – as such we work with almost every department in the business. The team are really welcoming and always willing to support apprentices in any way they can!

Q: Tell us 3 interesting facts about yourself.

Outside of work, I enjoy teaching Arabic (I’m not Arab, just love the language!). I’m also a lifeguard and a big foodie.

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

My main advice is to be genuine and really sell your experiences – everything is relevant. Every experience in life gives an opportunity for development. Reflect on how your experiences have benefited you and how that would translate to your job at JLR. Consider what you would bring to JLR and how would JLR grow you as a person? Make sure to follow the guidance on the early careers website too, there’s lots of great stuff on there!

Apprentice, Early Careers, Engineering, United Kingdom

Meet Niamh – Level 3 Advanced Apprentice in Engineering

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

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

I started at JLR as a level three advanced apprentice and I am just about to start my second year in the apprenticeship. I am currently following technicians in the workshop and learning how to complete different kinds of jobs with them, in all areas of the workshop. 

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

I am involved in other networks such as WIE&A (Women in Engineering and Allies), which is a network to support women in the engineering industry and create a community of women within the male dominated workplace. I am also involved with early careers, where I am able to go to careers events and promote the apprenticeship programme. Finally, I am also a STEM ambassador. Being a STEM ambassador enables me to go to schools and educate young people on STEM careers.

Q: What do you like about working here?

What I like about working at JLR Fen End is the community here, it is a friendly place to work and everyone is happy to help. I also love the amount of opportunities that are available to progress your career and connections that can be made. JLR are also very supportive and are advocates for diversity and inclusion including women in engineering.

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

My career aspirations are to finish my apprenticeship and do a degree through JLR in engineering. Through my engineering role I would like to gain experience in managerial roles and hopefully develop even further up from that. I believe I am well supported in my role by my supervisor, because she is supportive of any events/extra activities I do to gain recognition.

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

Engineering Vehicle Operations (EVO) stands out because it deals with the most luxurious and ‘special’ vehicles’ the company produces. EVO deals with film cars, racing cars, royal and even celebrity cars sometimes which makes it a very exciting place to work and it is very rewarding being able to have an impact on such vehicles.

Q: Tell us 3 interesting facts about yourself.

My hobbies include riding and competing my horse. I compete her in dressage and love spending time with her!

I also enjoy walking my two dogs and getting out in the countryside.

One of my achievements has been through my apprenticeship and the early career ambassador programme and it was being chosen as JLR’s female apprentice to represent the company in an inspiring children’s career flashcard pack.

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

Before the interview it is always useful to research the company; so research JLR’s values and what it stands for and have a little bit of product knowledge. It is also important to be prepared and take everything that was asked for (ID, GCSE certificates etc) with you so you aren’t disorganised. However, the most important thing is to be yourself and have confidence in yourself.