JLR scheme aims to boost skills of UK engineers

The Advanced Skills Accreditation Scheme (ASAS) was launched by Business Secretary Vince Cable at the company's product development centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire. It is based on a programme developed by JLR in partnership with leading English universities designed to offer engineers the chance to develop the skills needed to create tomorrow's world leading technologies. The programme is being extended to other UK companies by Semta, the sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies, with support from the government's Growth and Innovation Fund. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills will provide £1million funding. Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "This is the sort of innovative idea that will help address the crippling shortage of trained engineers in the UK. It's fantastic that JLR sees benefit not just of making itself competitive but also collaborating across the sector to help make British advanced manufacturing increasingly competitive." The programme allows participants to select course modules from different universities which then count towards a qualification up to master's degree level. The expansion of the scheme is expected to involve engineers from more than 2000 companies taking 5000 master's degree module places over the next two years. "This innovative project has transformed the delivery of master's level education to engineers, and after seeing the successful impact of developing the skills of experienced JLR engineers, we believe it can drive productivity, growth and job creation across the UK's high tech manufacturing industry," commented JLR engineering director Bob Joyce.