Life at JLR blog
Three years on: How to get the most out of your JLR apprenticeship.
We spoke to Humza back in 2023 when he was just a year into his apprenticeship. Now going into his final year, he reflects on how many amazing projects he's worked on, but also balancing this with his degree.
Tell us about life at JLR since we last spoke to you in December 2023.
Hi, I’m Humza, a final year Degree Apprentice on the APEP scheme (Level 6 Applied Professional Engineering Programme). These 4 years have absolutely flown by and it’s amazing to look back at how much I’ve learnt and all of the great experiences I’ve had since joining.
Alongside gaining experience in my home team (Vehicle Integration), I’ve been lucky enough to do some amazing placements in various teams across JLR, working projects involving: using virtual reality within engineering, methods to recycle JLR’s batteries, and testing and improving the off-road performance of our vehicles. These are just a few of the placements I’ve been on throughout my apprenticeship, and are in my opinion the most valuable part of being an apprentice. Being able to work in different teams across JLR helps to develops new skills, grow your network and understand the whole process of how a car is designed. Driving is something I really enjoy, so having driven everything from a Range Rover to an F-Type is definitely one my highlights of the job. I’ve also had the chance to attend various training courses, learning how to drive in off-road conditions, and even how to drift!
I’ll admit, balancing working life with a university degree has been challenging, but I’m lucky to have a strong support network around me, receiving guidance from my family, mentor, managers and colleagues across JLR. I’m almost at the end of my apprenticeship journey so looking forward to the finish line!
My main advice to anyone applying to apprenticeships at JLR is to be passionate and sell your experiences, everything is relevant. Every experience in life gives an opportunity for development. Reflect on how your experiences have benefited you and how that would translate to your job at JLR.