Jaguar Land Rover pledges to recruit 1,000 ex-armed forces personnel by 2020
VEHICLE manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has pledged to increase the number of ex-service men and women employed across its global operations to 1,000 by 2020.
The figure represents a five-fold increase on recruitment since 2013.
The company has been a long-time advocate for employing ex-members of the armed services because it believes many have transferrable skills.
The lack of a skilled workforce is also one of the biggest barriers to not only its own progression but that of its supply chain and the wider automotive industry in general.
The pledge also coincided with the start of the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida. The company has been Presenting Partner of the tournament since the inaugural event in London in 2014 and has committed to continuing its support for the 2017 Games, which will be held in Toronto.
Ian Harnett, Executive Director of Human Resources at Jaguar Land Rover said: “I am immeasurably proud that through our company, and the Jaguar Land Rover Learning Academy, we have been able to give hundreds of ex-service personnel the opportunity to rebuild their lives and careers.
“As the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer and a growing global business, we have an obligation to advance the skills and capability of the industry, and in doing so, provide opportunities for passionate people to unleash their full potential. That is why we are making it our mission to see the number of people recruited into our business from the military increase significantly in the coming years.”
A significant step in realising its targets is the introduction of a new programme to train and recruit up to 180 veterans across the company’s North American retail network. This initiative has been developed with CALIBRE Systems Inc and is the first major military programme for the company outside the UK.
At home, Jaguar Land Rover has recruited more than 200 ex-service men and women since it pledged its support to the 2014 Invictus Games. Some of these joined the business following training delivered through the Jaguar Land Rover Learning Academy.
The academy was created to deliver bespoke training programmes for service leavers.
Since 2015 more than 30 service personnel have participated in the ‘Inspiring Tomorrow’s Workforce’ and ‘Wounded, Injured and Sick’ (WIS) programmes with 75% of these finding roles at Jaguar Land Rover. Many others have gone on to find jobs in the company’s supply chain and wider industry.
