JLR Bolstering Worker Training for Electric, Connected Future

Jaguar Land Rover launches a bid to train 29,000 technicians in the next three years to power its electrification and connected- and autonomous-car strategy.

The goal of the Future Skills Program is to see more than 10,000 JLR and franchised retailer employees in the U.K., plus nearly 19,000 across the rest of the world, trained in skills vital to the transition to EV and CAV models of the future.

At present, about 80% of nearly 1,300 franchised JLR retailers globally offer EV servicing. The automaker wants to boost coverage by ensuring the majority of servicing technicians will receive electrification training this year. On top of this JLR plans to retrain thousands of highly skilled engineers and production employees, who previously worked on the development of internal-combustion vehicles, to specialize in EVs and CAVs.

As EV production at JLR plants ramps up, plant employees at all levels will need training to be able to work safely alongside the high-voltage systems in EVs.

The company also is bolstering its global apprenticeship program by adding 1,200 apprentices to the JLR and retailers’ schemes around the world.

Barbara Bergmeier, JLR industrial operations executive director, says: “Our plans to electrify our product portfolio are running at pace, and we are rapidly scaling up our future skills training program to ensure we have the right talent to deliver the world’s most desirable modern luxury electric vehicles.

“Developing the skilled global workforces needed to design, build and maintain the vehicles of the future is foundational,” she says. “I’m proud to say we are committing to help plug the electric and digital skills gap with a comprehensive, global training program.”