Coventry University prepares Jaguar Land Rover engineers for EVs

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has set up a new course with Coventry University to prepare its engineers for the switch to electric cars. The scheme, which began last January, offers EV-specific training courses in specifying components, verification and validation and integrating high-voltage parts into complete EVs. The workshops have been devised by senior propulsion engineers at JLR and the university and are delivered via the manufacturer’s Learning and Development Academy. Awinder Kaur, associate head of enterprise and innovation at Coventry University, said: “The courses are completely tailored to JLR, right down to the parts the engineers use in practical lessons. We listened carefully to JLR’s needs in order to create the most useful courses for their staff.” Some 1200 engineers are currently subscribed to the course at a ‘fundamental’ level or on a more advanced ‘intermediate’ curriculum. The initial success of the training programme means JLR will now expand it with a view to offering a degree-level qualification, as well as a new course concerning hydrogen powertrains. JLR engineering director Thomas Müller said: “Automotive jobs are evolving as the industry transforms at pace, so it’s key for us to empower and support our employees in developing knowledge and skills in electrification.” The partnership with Coventry University is the latest in a wave of training programmes at JLR. Last September, it announced its Future Skills initiative, with plans to train around 29,000 global staff in skills critical to supporting electrification, including engineering and servicing. In February 2023, the firm expanded its apprenticeship intake to 300 positions. Half of those are degree apprenticeships, which allow staff to work towards a university degree while on the job. Emphasis has also been placed on data training, with JLR having opened its doors to workers made redundant by tech firms Meta and Twitter last November. Three months prior, it announced a partnership with training platform Multiverse to offer more than 400 UK staff a specialist course in computer programming and data analysis. The comprehensive training programme is intended to prepare the company for an onslaught of EV models. Jaguar will become an EV-only luxury brand in 2025, with its plans understood by Autocar to include a trio of sports SUVs. Land Rover’s first electric model – a Range Rover EV – will arrive in 2024.