Member Article

Hugh Baird College helps graduate engineer career with Jaguar Land Rover

A graduate of Merseyside further education college Hugh Baird is looking forward to a long and successful career in the engineering and manufacturing sector after securing a place on a prestigious apprenticeship programme with Jaguar Land Rover.

Sean Reece studied the NVQ Diploma Level 2 in Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair at Bootle-based Hugh Baird College covering a broad range of skills for engine and vehicle maintenance.

He beat nearly 3,000 other applicants to be taken on to the four-year apprenticeship programme run by the manufacturing giant.

Mr Reece, 23, is currently studying full time for the first year of the programme and said he owes everything to Hugh Baird College.

“It’s no exaggeration to say I would not have been accepted onto this apprenticeship programme without my experience at Hugh Baird College,” Mr Reece said.

“I chose Hugh Baird College because of its good reputation. The time I had there and the range of subjects I studied really prepared me for the interview with Jaguar Land Rover. I am one of only 10 apprentices, from a total of 3,000 applicants, to have been accepted on for this intake so the competition was tough.

“From next year, we will be spending one or two days a week on the shop floor at Jaguar Land Rover and gaining more experience. We have been assured there will be jobs for us at the end of the programme and I could easily see myself being here for the rest of my working life.

“I previously only ever had ‘jobs’, such as valeting cars and working in supermarkets and fast food restaurants, but here I feel like I have actually got a career.”

Mr Reece, who is studying subjects such as electrical work, metal filing and welding, said he initially signed up to Hugh Baird College to study personal training but found himself walking through the college’s garages one day and realised he had chosen the wrong course.

“They were taking part in a pit stop challenge that day and there was just something about the environment there - the buzz, the noise and the atmosphere - which was very exciting and made me think ‘This is where I am supposed to be’,” Mr Reece added.

Lisa Morgan, Mr Reece’s tutor at Hugh Baird College, said she is very proud to see another of the college’s graduates progress onto a career programme with really great potential.

“Sean is another fine example of the type of graduates we see at Hugh Baird College on a regular basis,” Ms Morgan said. “Our ongoing relationships with employers of all sizes, from small businesses to giants like Jaguar Land Rover, shows how studying here can help to open doors with employers. We wish Sean every success and are proud that he not only chose to study with us but attributes his career progression to the time he spent at Hugh Baird College.

“We want to encourage parents and students to consider the courses on offer at Hugh Baird College and the future careers prospects which can result.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .