Jaguar Land Rover Seeks Aspiring U.K. Engineers

Jaguar Land Rover launches a campaign to attract more young people into careers in vehicle engineering and technology after a survey finds only 19% of teenagers are considering the profession.

The auto maker says its survey of 1,000 youths ages 13-16 reveals just 8% of girls would consider engineering as a career, compared with 29% of boys.

JLR is promoting engineering and technology among young people to address shortages of future engineering talent within the U.K. Executive Director Mike Wright says the success of both the auto maker’s global business and the U.K. economy lies in engineering and innovation.

“JLR has ambitious plans for growth, and this can only be supported by innovation in new products, engines and environmental technologies,” he says in a statement.

Wright says his company is the U.K.'s leading investor in automotive research and development and is delivering breakthroughs in engineering, performance and sustainability.

“However, it's critical that we attract talented young people to become the next generation of engineers and technologists,” he says.

“We have a wide range of educational initiatives under way with the aim of getting young people excited about engineering and to encourage them to make the right subject choices.”

JLR is promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics within schools and colleges to help create the next generation of engineers and technologists.

For example, the auto maker is a lead sponsor of The Big Bang Young Scientists and Engineering Fair, the U.K.'s largest celebration of science and technology for young people, being held this week in Birmingham, England.

JLR is displaying numerous exhibits highlighting the excitement of engineering. Some 110 JLR graduates are leading school groups around the event while engineers and apprentices discussed the exhibits and their career experiences.

The survey shows some 50% of fairgoers ranking “interesting/exciting work” as the most important factor when choosing a career, while “money/earning potential” rates as the second-most important consideration.

Only 15% of participants would “definitely” consider automotive engineering as a career. More than 40% view the profession as “dirty/greasy/messy,” and just 37% believe it would be an exciting field.

Of respondents who specified a top career choice, engineering is ranked behind teaching and sports professional. JLR Engineering Director Bob Joyce says the survey shows the U.K. must do more to make science and technology the No.1 choice for young people.

“We now employ more than 6,000 engineers, designers and technologists in the U.K., and the search is on for more talented young people to join that team,” he says. “It's a really exciting time to be an engineer, and it’s vital for the U.K. that today’s school students consider engineering as a desirable career to follow.”