JLR Academy to Sharpen Focus on Employee Training

Jaguar Land Rover workers get an opportunity to enhance their careers as the company launches the Jaguar Land Rover Academy, the first of its kind in the U.K. automotive sector.

JLR already spends £100 million ($154 million) a year on worker learning and development and says the academy renews its focus on that investment, improving skills for the long term by strengthening the links between training and business needs.

Training at the academy will meet quality levels defined by a recognized and standardized accreditation process.

CEO Ralf Speth says the automaker is investing in its future by employing and developing the highly skilled people that will help ensure its continued success.

“For me, our workforce is our most crucial asset and I see the Jaguar Land Rover Academy as the lifeblood of our organization," Speth says in a statement. “Through providing opportunities for continuous learning from recruitment to retirement, the academy will ensure that we have the skills needed to compete globally.”

The academy will offer training for employees, whether they are new recruits or experienced employees seeking to move to the next level in the company. This ranges from engineering skills-enhancement programs to postgraduate qualifications, including JLR’s advanced and degree apprenticeships, as well as its graduate program.

Within its first year, the curriculum will expand to cover other functional, business and management qualifications delivered by leading universities, academic institutions and vocational training providers.

JLR already has 8,800 workers enrolled in academic and vocational training, more than half involved in undergraduate or postgraduate level studies.

The new academy will be run in partnership with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), an academic department at the University of Warwick.

The JLR Academy’s technical and vocational curriculum will be coordinated from WMG’s facility at the university. The automaker’s supplier-training programs, retailer apprenticeships and other aspects of the company’s wider skills projects will be included.