JLR trains hundreds in new data skills to drive greater Range Rover production

Press Release by Multiverse Thu 10 Oct 2024

JLR is delivering the largest data upskilling apprenticeship programme in the country through the Multiverse Data Fellowship Apprenticeship with more than 600 employees enrolled.

JLR said the programme aims to boost the company’s digital transformation and is already seeing benefits.

Within six months of being enrolled on the programme, Facilities Monitoring Controller and Data Fellowship Apprentice, Kamil Poreda, was able to help identify production inefficiencies by creating a specialist dashboard for maintenance managers. These insights into the efficiency of manufacturing lines helped the wider team at JLR’s Solihull plant lift production of Range Rover and Range Rover Sport vehicles by more than 600 a week, generating over £50 million ($65.4 million) additional weekly revenues and ensuring faster delivery of vehicles to waiting clients.

“Getting the opportunity to enhance my data knowledge and apply it to my day‑to‑day role on the shopfloor was really empowering. I have been able to make a small, yet impactful change that is boosting production levels. The Data Fellowship Programme has really enriched me as an employee and the business as a whole,” said Poreda.

More than 600 JLR employees are enrolled on the specialist data training programme, which was launched in August last year by the JLR Learning Academy and the Enterprise Data Office, in partnership with tech startup Multiverse. A further 400 employees are due to start the course later this year.

“JLR’s apprenticeship programme is the largest data upskilling initiative in the country, creating hundreds of new data specialists through the power of Applied Learning. It is clear from the results how those enrolled on these programmes are not only creating real value for JLR, but in the process are allowing the participants to hugely enhance their own careers and giving them direct access to skills that are at the epicentre of the future of work.” said Euan Blair CEO at Multiverse.

JLR Empowers Employees for a Data-Driven Future

The 15‑month course covers topics including data modelling, analysis, Python, and Machine Learning. It will support thousands of JLR’s employees in building their individual data skills, support collaboration and support working with data in the cloud.

As the automotive industry transforms into an electric era, using increasingly high volumes of data, JLR is focused on creating a data‑first mindset. This digital transformation is vital to support growth, enhance the client experience and increase productivity whilst improving the expertise of its workforce.

Group Chief Digital and Information Officer at JLR, Anthony Battle, said the Multiverse data upskilling programme is transforming the company’s ability to harness the power of data, ‘enabling them to make better decisions, innovate faster, and deliver more amazing modern luxury vehicles for our clients’.

“Our people are being equipped with the skills and knowledge to unlock valuable insights and drive real‑world impact across our entire organisation. Multiverse has been an essential partner on this journey, and we look forward to continuing to work together to realise the full potential of our data‑driven future,” added Battle.

The shortage of data skills is estimated to cost UK businesses £2 billion a year, with 1 in 10 jobs requiring data expertise and 100,000 data positions unfilled. Multiverse is looking to fill this skills gap by building an outstanding alternative to university and corporate training through apprenticeships. It now trains over 8,000 tech, leadership and digital apprentices.