Industrial Operations: Manufacturing Graduate Review

It has been an immersive development experience, through a large variety of mediums such as graduate scheme dedicated learning courses (Online and in-person), on-the-job experience both in the office and on the shop floor, and other additional opportunities such as supporting early careers with their university engagement events.
It is a company that takes inclusivity seriously, so much so that there is a plethora of networks for a variety of different backgrounds & identities, ensuring that each person feels that they belong. JLR is truly striving for a better future in all aspects, and has progressed a lot since I joined in 2023.

When you do a graduate scheme at JLR you have a 'home' team that you are assigned to, and then to work on your development goals you can take up placements in other departments throughout the two years. My main role was within layout and facilities (in Body in White - where the car body is produced) where we oversee the installation of new manufacturing equipment (robots, joining equipment, etc), amenity areas, and conveyor systems - as we also develop the layouts with our suppliers.
I took up 2 placements throughout my graduate scheme, one in dimensional systems (component quality and metrology) and another in Manufacturing research and technology development.

From the very beginning my manager always said that the best way for me to learn was to take on tasks and responsibilities. I've definitely gained a variety of experience throughout my time here since I have been involved in multiple projects, both to deliver manufacturing lines for new vehicles, as well as implementing improvements to our processes and procedures (document creation and updates). I have also been involved with the quality management system as I make sure that the team is conforming to the requirements of IATF 16949.

The pay and benefits are good, especially compared with other graduate schemes out there. The only downside was that the other engineers would receive a global bonus based on the success of the company that year, but as graduates we were not entitled to this bonus. Having said that, when you complete the graduate scheme you are advanced to the engineer's grade which will then award you the entitlement of the global bonus.

Overall it has given me a variety of experience in different departments which has facilitated the process of figuring out exactly what type of work I prefer (e.g. working from home vs coming on site, or working in the office vs down on the shop floor). The only downside is that there are a lot of practices and principles such as lean manufacturing, for example, that I have not been able to apply or develop.

My buddy was exceptional, as she offered her support right from the beginning and was always open for a chat or to answer any of my (many) questions. I was also informally assigned a mentor who guided me, especially during my first year in the role. My managers and the early careers team were also very supportive of my development and to ensure that my working situation was well balanced between fulfilling my role within the team and further developing myself through training and placements.

I originally opted out of the increased working week exactly for this reason - the 37 hour contract allowed me the time that I required to travel to and from work and to still have time for my home life in the evenings, especially now that I am a father.

The culture and values of the organisation are spot on: Unity, Integrity, Growth, Impact, and customer love. This culture is still fairly new in the company, so there are still some individuals that are lagging behind in terms of their language and behaviours, which at times can be disheartening or difficult, but on the whole it is a good psychologically safe workplace where you can be yourself and receive the support you require from your manager or any other resources (of which there are many available)

As I mentioned in the earlier sections, diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are all prioritised here, and that is supported by the range of networks established within the company. The company actively invests time and resources into these networks (oriented around race, ethnicity, religion, disability, or any other minority groups). This really goes to show that all are accepted here, and you can find a group that you can relate to if you have any experiences to share

Yes

The JLR graduate scheme offers a great opportunity to graduates straight out of university (or otherwise, but this was my situation) to immerse themselves in the industry with a variety of placements, and simultaneously developing their skills in the field. It's got a competitive salary for a graduate scheme, with a rate for stage increase in the second year, and offering a full-time engineer position upon completion of the course.

The role had some ambiguity, as the role I applied for was 'manufacturing graduate'. It did align to the title, but the title is a lot more ambiguous than the actual role, which was layout and facilities. As for the graduate scheme, there were some elements that required more effort from my part to coordinate of my own initiative (Such as placements and development initiatives) but this was explained at the induction in some regard.