Youngsters Gear Up For Engineering Careers

• Jaguar Land Rover officially opens brand new Education Business Partnership Centre at £500 million Engine Manufacturing Centre
• Thousands of young people from across the region will visit the facility each year to learn about the world of work and engineering careers
• The new Centre is part of Jaguar Land Rover's 'Inspiring Tomorrow's Engineers' school education programme, which has engaged almost three million young people across the UK to date

Jaguar Land Rover, the UK's largest automotive employer, today opened a brand new £650,000 Education Business Partnership Centre at its Engine Manufacturing Centre near Wolverhampton in partnership with Staffordshire County Council, South Staffordshire Council, Wolverhampton City Council and Wolverhampton College. The new Education Centre will deliver school visits, work placements and bespoke education programmes for thousands of young people across the region each year.

Dr. Ralf Speth, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover, commented: "Jaguar Land Rover is a business driven by design, technology and innovation. It is critical that we attract talented young people to become the next generation of engineers to support our growing business.

"The Engine Manufacturing Centre will employ 1,400 people and will offer excellent employment opportunities to young people through our award-winning traineeship, apprenticeship and graduate programmes. I'm delighted to open the Education Business Partnership Centre, which will play a key role in nurturing future talent and inspiring more young people to pursue engineering careers."

The new Education Business Partnership Centre uses a range of cutting-edge technologies such as a holographic table which projects images of Jaguar Land Rover's Ingenium engines to show how they are manufactured. iPad stations using bespoke modules will be on-hand for students to complete when they return from facility tours and young people will also be able to learn how to control and manipulate miniature robots, similar to those used in the facility.

Peter Bilson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Assets, Wolverhampton City Council, speaking on behalf of Jaguar Land Rover Education Business Partnership Centre partners Staffordshire County Council, South Staffordshire Council Wolverhampton City Council and Wolverhampton College commented: "We are delighted to work in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover to support its school education programme. We are committed to providing the best possible educational opportunities for local young people across Staffordshire and the West Midlands and the Education Business Partnership Centre will be hugely valuable reinforcing the importance of STEM subjects to modern industry, highlighting career opportunities and helping young people strengthen their employability skills as they prepare for the world of work."

Jaguar Land Rover's 'Inspiring Tomorrow's Engineers' programme promotes learning and engagement in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects in collaboration with schools and colleges to inspire young people to consider careers in engineering and manufacturing. Key elements of the programme include dedicated Education Centres in the local areas close to Jaguar Land Rover facilities and imaginative 'Challenge' projects for groups of school pupils.

For more information about the new Education Business Partnership Centre or to make a booking, contact Liz Love, Education Business Partnership Centre Manager, Mobile: 07880 175 057 or emailelove@jaguarlandrover.com.

Ends

Notes to editor

Engine Manufacturing Centre

• The £500 million Engine Manufacturing Centre is home to the Ingenium engine family of low emission turbo-charged engines which will power a new generation of Jaguar Land Rover products designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK.

Inspiring Tomorrow's Engineers

• More than 2.9 million young people have participated in education activities since 2000.
• Last year, 300,000 young people directly participated in education initiatives including 18,000 school children who visited Education Centres and 317 who participated in work experience placements.
• In 2014, 8,140 employees donated 98,600 hours to support Jaguar Land Rover's school STEM education programme
• Employees support Education Business Partnership Centres which run school visits and work placements at the company's sites by helping develop curriculum materials, delivering presentations to groups, supporting external careers events or mentoring young people on work experience placements.
• JLR recruited 283 graduates, 200 apprentices and 143 undergraduates on industrial placements in 2014 to develop the next generation of engineers, some of whom had previously participated in the Inspiring Tomorrow's Engineers programme.

For more information contact:
Kate Birkenhead, CSR PR and Communications
M: 07780 494 352, E: kbirkenh@jaguarlandrover.com