PSA continues with it's commitment to strengthen ties with top post graduates and universities around the globe.

As part of its Open Innovation strategy and in line with its commitment to staying on the leading edge of automotive research, PSA Peugeot Citroën is strengthening its ties with top post-graduate schools and universities by creating an OpenLab in Africa.

On 25 January, PSA Peugeot Citroën entered into an agreement with five Moroccan universities, two US universities with campuses in Morocco, one locally-based Ecole Centrale engineering school, and a technology transfer centre at the International University of Rabat. 

The agreement was signed at a ceremony attended by Morocco's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the French Ambassador to Morocco.

The new OpenLab, dubbed "Sustainable Mobility for Africa", will engage in a four-year research programme to explore sustainable mobility systems with three core focuses: the electric vehicle of the future, renewable energy and the logistics of the future. The programme will leverage PSA Peugeot Citroën's scientific and professional expertise, the expertise of the partner universities and a number of technological platforms which will be made available to researchers in Morocco.

In this way, after deploying its Science Technologies Exploratory Lean Laboratory (StelLab) organisation in Europe, Asia and Latin America, PSA Peugeot Citroën is strengthening its network to nurture close relationships with future scientific hubs.

The OpenLab "Sustainable Mobility for Africa" programme brings together the following partners:

• International University of Rabat
• Mohammed V University
• Ibn Tofail University (Kenitra)
• Cadi Ayyad University (Marrakech)
• Euro-Mediterranean University of Fez (INSA EuroMediterranean)
• Georgia Institute of Technology (GeorgiaTech)
• Mississipoi State University
• Ecole Centrale Casablanca
• Institut Lafayette

Open Innovation at PSA Peugeot Citroën       

PSA Peugeot Citroën has adopted an Open Innovation strategy which entails building and managing relationships with a variety of ecosystems — from individuals and business to the academic world and institutions.

As part of its relationship with the academic ecosystem, the Group launched the StelLab network of OpenLabs and academic chairs in 2010.

StelLab is designed to strengthen PSA's scientific partnerships with publicly-funded laboratories involved in leading-edge research.

The OpenLab network operates worldwide to respond more effectively to the societal, environmental and economic challenges associated with the "car of the future", benefiting from the shared human and experimental resources of PSA Peugeot Citroën and its partner laboratories.

The largest number of graduates, 139, begin apprenticships and industrial placements in Bentley’s history.

• Over 135 trainees begin Bentley career this week
• The largest number of graduates, apprentices and industrial placements in Bentley’s history
• Investment in future talent supports Bentley’s skills development programme 

Bentley Motors has welcomed 139 graduates, apprentices and industrial placement students this week, the company’s highest intake in history.

The new recruits cover roles in every Bentley department, from engineering to manufacturing, and sales and marketing to human resources. All new trainees will begin with a formal induction, before commencing their respective programmes.

Welcoming the new recruits, Marlies Rogait, Member of the Board for Human Resources at Bentley Motors, said: “I join the rest of the business in welcoming our new trainees to Bentley and I feel proud that this is our largest ever intake, demonstrating our dedication and commitment to skills development and investing in the talent of the future.

“These programmes will give them a solid foundation upon which to build the skills and knowledge required to become skilled professionals and experts in their chosen field.”

Bentley has created over 1,000 jobs in the past two years and was recently named as a Top Employer for the fourth consecutive year, praised for its focus on skills development within its workforce.

Annabelle Wain, who joined this week as an apprentice working in the manufacturing department, commented: “I’m really pleased to be joining Bentley and begin the next step in my career. I’ve read all about the new SUV, Bentley Bentayga and after the initial time in the classroom as part of the apprenticeship, I can’t wait to get started working on the new car.”     

The apprenticeship programme offers an invaluable way of gaining recognised qualifications while undertaking key training at Bentley, for three or four years, dependent on which area the apprentice is working in.  

The majority of apprentices will be undertaking the manufacturing programme, learning skills within areas such as wood, leather, paint and mechatronics. The first year of their programme will be theoretical learning at South Cheshire College, before working in practical areas of manufacturing at Bentley.

Bentley’s graduate scheme is a two year development programme where recruits are given the opportunity to work on business projects, working in a specific department, or across a number of functions.

The industrial placement scheme offers a 12-month development programme focused on undergraduate degree students looking to complete a year out in industry as part of their studies.

Recruitment for the next intake of graduates will start later this month, with apprentice and industrial placement positions open in March 2016.

Jaguar Land Rover celebrate nearly 600 new gradulates and apprentices beginning their career with JLR.

• Nearly 600 new graduates and apprentices begin their careers with Jaguar Land Rover
• The recruits are the first to start their training as part of the newly-formed Jaguar Land Rover Academy
• Business Secretary praises Jaguar Land Rover for backing the next generation of British talent
• Some 2,500 have joined tailored graduate and apprenticeship programmes in last five years
• Search for 2016 graduate and undergraduate intake launched this week

Jaguar Land Rover has welcomed nearly 600 new graduates and apprentices to the business this week, the company’s highest intake to date.  Today the Government’s Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, met some of the company’s trainees and praised Jaguar Land Rover for backing the next generation of British talent.

Sajid Javid said: “It is great for Britain that we have got such a successful automotive industry and the graduates and apprentices joining Jaguar Land Rover this week will have an important role to play in building on that success in the future.  I congratulate the new intake on securing the opportunity to work at the heart of the renaissance of the British car industry.  Companies like Jaguar Land Rover are backing the next generation of British talent, helping people to build careers and boosting the country’s productivity.”

With some 2,500 employees having started their careers on Jaguar Land Rover’s graduate, advanced and higher apprentice programmes over the past five years, this year’s intake is the largest to date and more than 100 up on last year.     

Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover Chief Executive Officer, met the new recruits on Monday.  He commented: “I am proud to welcome tomorrow’s engineers, technicians and innovators at the very beginning of their career with the company.  This is an exciting time to join our business.  We are investing significantly in the future of Jaguar Land Rover by creating very special vehicles for our discerning customers and, just as importantly by employing and developing the highly skilled people that will help ensure our continued success.”

The new graduates and apprentices are the first to start their training as part of the Jaguar Land Rover Academy, which was officially launched this week.  The new Academy will offer learning and development for employees at all stages of their working lives with the company, whether they are new recruits or more experienced employees seeking to move to the next level in the organisation.  This “lifelong learning” will follow a structured plan, delivering training that is relevant to changing business requirements and enabling employees to progress their careers at Jaguar Land Rover.

The Business Secretary met the apprentices and graduates at a UK car industry event held by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) today, ahead of next week’s Frankfurt international motor show.  At Frankfurt, Jaguar Land Rover will be showcasing its British designed, engineered and produced vehicles.  As part of this, the company promises a dramatic reveal of the all-new Jaguar F-PACE, the brand’s first performance crossover.

The graduates and apprentices have begun their programmes with a joint formal induction week at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry.  Designed to inspire participants, the induction has included motivational talks from Richard Noble, the former land speed record holder and Kenton Cool, one of the world’s leading high-altitude climbers.  Those attending have also had the chance to put questions to Dr Speth and other members of the company’s executive committee, familiarise themselves with the latest vehicles and have a glimpse at the future line-up.

Jaguar Land Rover’s undergraduate placement scheme is increasingly becoming a feeder for the graduate programme, with 85 of the 333 graduates joining this week previously having been on paid undergraduate placements with the company.  

Similarly, the company’s Young Women In The Know course has led to an increase in the number of females taking up advanced and higher apprenticeships at Jaguar Land Rover.  14 of the girls who took the course last year are amongst the 46 new female apprentices.  The Young Women In The Know initiative, launched in August 2013 as part of Jaguar Land Rover’s wider education outreach, offers female students aged 15 – 18 a unique insight into engineering, technology and manufacturing careers.

Danella Bagnall, Vehicle Programme Director at Jaguar Land Rover is a great role model: "I started my career as an apprentice 26 years ago which was a great way of continuing education, developing skills, and getting into industry.  I am now an engineering director, which demonstrates the excellent career progression opportunities available to women in a modern engineering-led business like Jaguar Land Rover.  I would thoroughly recommend a career in engineering to girls."

273 graduates added to JLR intake makes almost 1000 over three years

JAGUAR LAND ROVER WELCOMES NEW 2013 GRADUATE INTAKE TAKING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF GRADUATES RECRUITED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS TO ALMOST 1000

• 273 new graduates begin their careers with Jaguar Land Rover – The UK’s Responsible Business of the Year
• New recruits takes the total number of graduates recruited in the last three years to almost 1,000
• Graduates receive inspirational address from Sir David Brailsford, Performance Director of British Cycling
• Jaguar Land Rover graduate programme is the highest ranked programme from an automotive manufacturer in the Times Top 100 List of Graduate Employers

Jaguar Land Rover has today underlined its commitment to developing the necessary skills needed to secure the future of the UK automotive industry with the recruitment of a further 273 graduates. The 2013 intake were joined on their first day with the company by 19 graduates recruited by Jaguar Land Rover’s National Sales Companies in South Africa, the USA, China, Australia and Europe. This latest tranche of graduates takes the total number recruited in the last three years to almost 1,000.

Recruited from many of the country’s leading academic institutions, the new graduates are joining at anexciting juncture in the company’s rich history. Today Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest premium automotive manufacturer representing two of the most iconic British motoring marques that are reaching global consumers in more markets than ever before thanks to a truly engaging product line-up.

Dr. Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO said: "Jaguar Land Rover's drive towards excellence in research, design and innovation has seen us invest heavily in our business but our future success lies in our ability to deliver even more advanced and sustainable products.

"This can only be achieved through a continued commitment to the next generation of innovators who will lead the advancement of technologies required to shape the future of our company and the wider automotive industry."

In July, Jaguar Land Rover was named Responsible Business of the Year by Business in the Community for, amongst other things, its role in championing the agenda around the advancement of skills and development of young people. And as the highest ranking automotive manufacturer in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers index, Jaguar Land Rover certainly has a proven track record in developing the future generation of engineers, buyers,marketeers and financiers needed to support its ambitious growth plans.

One such graduate is Cora Moffat who is about to begin her second year of the programme working in Chassis Development. She said: “During my first year on the graduate programme I have been able to use the engineering knowledge gained at university in a real business environment. From early on in the scheme I have been given a role with real responsibility and I can see how decisions I make influence the company.”

She continues: “I love the variation in my job role. No two days are the same and I am given the freedom to develop my skills in many areas with the support and encouragement of my colleagues. It has been a great year and I look forward to the next!”

During their first day with the company the graduates took part in an in-depth introductory programme where they met with members of the Jaguar Land Rover Board, familiarised themselves with the latest vehicle line up and had a glimpse at some of the products of the future. They also received an inspirational speech on teamwork, commitment and leadership from Performance Director of British Cycling and Team Principal of Team Sky, Sir David Brailsford.

Sir David Brailsford is credited as one of the principal architects in transforming Great Britain's track fortunes over the last decade. Under his leadership Team GB has become the most successful track cycling team in modern history with numerous victories at the Athens, Beijing and London Olympics.

Speaking to graduates, Sir David said: " You are about to embark on a new career with a company currently at the forefront of automotive design, technology and engineering excellence. Throughout my career in cycling, I have been at the cutting edge of human performance; understanding the need for a strong team that is fully committed and motivated to achieving the highest possible performance.

“This mind-set and approach that is so fundamental to our success at Team Sky is also highly relevant when it comes to Jaguar Land Rover graduates achieving the most and enjoying their future careers."

The Jaguar Land Rover graduate programme is designed to provide the perfect blend of personal and professional development, along with opportunities to network with other graduates and build relationships across the entire business. Graduates joining Jaguar Land Rover will be allocated a home department based on their specialism but will, over the course of the two year programme have an opportunity to gain experience in a number of functions from Product Development and Purchasing to Logistics and Finance.