Life at JLR blog
SHAPING FUTURE ENGINEERS, ONE EVENT AT A TIME
Olivia’s work as a STEM ambassador proves how powerful volunteering can be. Not just for the communities she supports, but for the future of engineering itself.
What Volunteering means to me?
As a STEM ambassador, I have been fortunate enough to volunteer as a ‘Women in Engineering’ representative. This has completely transformed my perspective on STEM. Most notable, the endless ways we can inspire not only future generations but those who are in an ever-changing, ever-growing industry.
Through supporting outreach events and engaging with young people of all ages, I’ve come to realise that STEM is much more than the title of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths alone. It is about diversity, community, and through communication and creativity, we are able to teach any age and any gender about all the potential they have.
Events Over the past 3 years I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in varying events through volunteering while representing JLR. In 2024, for the first time in 10 years, JLR hosted their own stand at The Big Bang Fair. I was a part of a team of early careers who put together an immersive experience at the NEC that spanned over 3 days. With over 20,000 students from all over the UK, JLR were able to showcase: an SV Range Rover with a haptic vest to show capability, a Jaguar TCS Formula E car, a ‘build your own’ LEGO defender station and much more.
As a team of over 14 volunteers from across JLR, we showcased the exciting opportunities within STEM. This allowed us to highlight how our work is helping to advance engineering and drive a greener future. This year's theme of ‘The Big Bang Fair’ was ‘Sustainability’, something we are incredibly passionate about and continuously strive to improve. During this experience, I had the privilege of presenting the ‘Junior Science Award’. The following day, I had the chance to speak in a panel alongside others in software programming and aeronautical backgrounds, discussing the rapid development and excitement within the engineering industry. In July of 2025, I was able to volunteer with a team of talented women to put together our JLR stand for the ‘Magical Midlands Girl Guiding Event’. This was a weekend volunteering experience that created the opportunity to open the minds of young girls and show that STEM is for everyone. We showcased, our product line through LEGO, the concept of an electrical circuit through mini motor cars and much more. This allowed us to participate with each age group from 4-16 while still highlighting what we do.
What are the benefits?
Each of these events are almost completely reliant on the generosity of hundreds if not thousands of volunteers. Children, students and adults have the chance to be a part of activities, companies, and industries that many inspire them to pursue a career in STEM and JLR. Volunteering, be it your time or expertise, is the reason each incredible event/opportunity is so widely available to children and adults from any community and background.
It gives each person a platform to showcase something that they are not only involved in, but truly passionate about. The chance to learn different skills such as presenting, working with different ages, neurodivergence and SEN, adapting experiences, improving communication and hopefully building the confidence of young people to always be inquisitive and continue to learn by asking questions.
Get Involved!
The honesty and curiosity of young people perfectly capture why I value being involved in in these opportunities so much. We get 16 hours to use for volunteering, there are a wide range of options available within JLR to volunteer, whether it be presenting at a university or setting up for the Scouts, the ‘volunteering and giving back’.
The approach to STEM education is constantly changing and this is evident through the networks of volunteers in and around JLR. Whether it be in industry or in community, the lasting impact that meaningful engagement and volunteering your time can have is undoubtably infinite. I’ve been constantly reminded throughout these experiences that one size doesn’t fit all and there is always room for new perspectives to gain and learn from, irrelevant of your level of experience, knowledge or age. Volunteering benefits all parties involved and continues to fuel the future.
Be a part of shaping the world you want to see.