The first Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) apprentices to graduate from a programme that has doubled the company's workforce at its Halewood plant were congratulated on their achievements by Skills Minister John Hayes MP during a site visit Wednesday 19th October.

JLR has recruited and trained 1,300 new apprentices in lean manufacturing techniques to meet production deadlines for the new Range Rover Evoque.

Alongside JLR's investment, the programme's success rests on the employer's collaboration with Semta, the Sector Skills Council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies, the National Apprenticeship Service and EAL - the specialist awarding organisation for industry qualifications - to meet workplace skills needs.

The visit from John Hayes follows recent media criticism of employers that - by contrast - put existing staff through short-term, low-skilled Apprenticeship programmes which have absorbed some of the £250million funding announced by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in October 2011 to increase Apprenticeship starts.

JLR's Apprenticeship programme focuses on EAL qualifications in Business-Improvement Techniques (B-IT), which aim to improve productivity and eliminate waste from manufacturing processes.  More than 80 per cent of the existing staff at JLR have achieved B-IT NVQs at level 2 as part of its commitment to develop a world class manufacturing workforce.

Semta was brought in to offer expert support to develop a programme that would train JLR's new workforce with minimum interruption to Evoque preparation, optimise productivity and maintain its quality and Lean Centre of Excellence status.Training for its new apprentices is delivered by a partnership involving Pera Training, Training 2000 and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Industry Forum. 

The collaborative approach has seen JLR apprentices achieve a 97 percent success rate during the initial phase of off-the-job training - far exceeding national standards - before progressing through ten months of workplace assessments.

According to Ann Watson, Managing Director of EAL, the example set by JLR underlines the true value of Apprenticeship schemes to industry: "Jaguar Land Rover has recognised the huge potential of Apprenticeships to support business growth by increasing the capacity and enhancing the skills of its workforce. Not only has the initiative created new jobs and delivered a major boost to the local economy, but it has also equipped these apprentices with qualifications that are recognised by employers and practical experience that will transform their future career prospects."

Philip Whiteman, Chief Executive of Semta, said: "Jaguar Land Rover is a prime example of a manufacturing company that is using training as a means to gear up for future growth.  Its willingness to work in partnership with Semta, the National Apprenticeship Service and EAL has enabled us to tailor an Apprenticeship programme that works within its timeframes to develop a highly skilled and motivated workforce."

The Apprenticeship programme is due to be completed in spring 2012 and will present opportunities for apprentices to further enhance their career prospects by progressing to higher level EAL qualifications.

Richard Else, Operations Director at Jaguar Land Rover, Halewood, said: "The automotive industry has a critical role to play in supporting a manufacturing led economic recovery. Our business is experiencing a period of growth thanks to investment and innovation and we need to ensure that we have the next generation of engineers lined up to carry us forwards. Initiatives such as 'See Inside Manufacturing', will help us to get the message out that manufacturing is an exciting industry, excellent career choice, with high quality training and a bright future."