Jaguar Land Rover is tackling ‘real world’ knowledge gaps in plastics engineering by working with a leading moulder, moulding equipment manufacturers and a raw material supplier.
JLR’s Ian Ray has championed an award-winning Training & Development Programme with a distinctively innovative approach to collaborative learning that has helped to engage, educate and upskill over 100 JLR product development team members. Including an extensive number of colleagues working in non-engineering functions.
Driven by the urgency to flip the development engagement model and keep JLR’s digitally-enlightened Gen Z engineers inquisitive, Ian pulled together his most trusted suppliers to design and deliver a learning programme where the syllabus draws in and upon collective experiences. Believed to be the first learning programme of its kind, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and ENGEL UK, together with injection moulder WHS Plastics and raw material supplier Resinex, wholeheartedly backed Ian’s vision.
The reception of the JLR programme has been so positive, it culminated in the partnership winning the coveted training & development accolade at the 2023 Plastic Industry Awards.
“Our market is certainly big enough to support common goals and share insight and knowledge,” emphasises Ian. He says that the case for strategic collaboration is stronger than ever. Especially in learning and development when the division of effort can be split between likeminded partners to deliver an engaging, mutually beneficial and complementary syllabus.
Hailing it as a “great example of a collaborative effort between JLR and their suppliers”, the PIA 2023 judges commended the impressive fact that the programme brought two direct competitors – Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and ENGEL UK – on board. Describing it as a “fantastic initiative” the judges further extolled the benefits of “using the supply chain as a training resource. These closer partnerships enabled bespoke training requirements to be addressed. Particularly noteworthy was the breadth of roles in JLR who shared the learning experience.”
A strong advocate of lifelong education and development, for JLR, this bespoke five-module strategic training partnership – covering materials, design, tooling and processing – complements its already expansive in-house training portfolio.
Ian said: “Collectively the JLR design, product and engineering teams possess a deep technical knowledge. Although we aren’t moulders, our engineering and design teams need to understand the process and have enough knowledge to confidently and competently challenge our suppliers.”
Cross-collaboration is the cornerstone of this bespoke two-tiered JLR training and development programme. Providing a brief introduction to materials, tooling and the moulding process is the one-day ‘Lite’ introductory course. More than 100 JLR colleagues from a breadth of roles have completed this element, with Ian, Justin Anstey from Resinex and Steve Hunt and Andrew Kendrick from WHS Plastics delivering the content on site at WHS Plastics.
“Developing a new plastic automotive component from start to finish takes a design, material, machine, tooling, process and a customer. All of these together cannot be supported by one entity. It was great to be part of a multi-functional team working in partnership to deliver some invaluable training to the JLR engineering teams,” reports Andrew Kendrick, Group Sales Director, WHS Plastics UK.
With the ’Lite’ element providing a taster for the main event, each quarter, a cohort of 16 JLR delegates complete five further ‘deeper dive’ modules.
JLR and Resinex delivers the content for Modules 1 and 2 – materials and design – supported by host WHS Plastics. The processor also shares its on-site tooling expertise for Module 3. Automotive Manager Justin Anstey at Resinex delivers the more advanced decorative processing syllabus for the fifth module, supported by Ian and WHS Plastics. Highlighting the important link between skills and succession, Justin comments: “This programme provides a valuable gateway to support the wider industry and build a robust talent pipeline. Given the exodus, mainly through retirement, we are planning ahead, ensuring this wealth of knowledge is being assimilated and shared with the next generation.”
On completion of the five modules, each delegate receives a JLR certificate in engineering. Attended by senior managers, line managers, lead engineers, graduates and apprentices, testament to the business demand, JLR already has an extensive waiting list for this bespoke training programme.
To-date, 32 JLR cohorts from the Product Development Business Units, predominantly the Cockpit Department have completed the main course. In 2024, the programme will be offered to the Chassis, Electronics, and Propulsion sub-divisions.