WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE MEET BIG POSSIBILITIES

We spoke to Hema, Employee Relations and Projects Consultant in Halewood about the 2026 ‘Young Person at JLR’ events.

Tell us about the events and what they aimed to achieve.
Young Person at JLR is an employee engagement initiative that gives young people of colleagues that work at JLR, the opportunity to experience the world of work firsthand. The events are designed to help young people understand the wide range of careers available at JLR while providing an insight into how our products are designed, engineered and manufactured. Across the day, participants take part in interactive activities, learn about Early Careers opportunities and meet colleagues from different areas of the business. Activities have included team-building challenges, STEM-based exercises, Lean Lego, dexterity challenges and site-specific experiences.

How many sites and employees were involved, and how has the programme grown since last year?
This year we have increased our offering from 8 events across 6 sites in 2025 to 19 events across 9 sites in 2026. We have engaged with 388 young people across all events. We also increased our age range of young people attending in 2026 to cover year 7-11 of secondary school education.

 
How do employees get involved, and what kind of activities or support do they provide?
Colleagues had the opportunity to apply to the scheme through our team talk communications earlier this year.  Each event was specially curated to show the business activity taking place at individual sites. Our manufacturing sites showcased the various activities such as line processes, lean Lego and plant tours. Our non-manufacturing sites showcased design and engineering activities to those attending including 3D printing, vehicle safety testing and design studio activities. All our events shared a similar story around careers within our enterprise and our early career offerings. Young people also had the opportunity to learn more about our enterprise and their specific site.
 
Why are events like this important for our company and for employees?
Events like Young Person at JLR help inspire the next generation by showcasing the exciting opportunities available within modern manufacturing, engineering, technology and business functions. They also strengthen connections between employees and their families, allowing colleagues to share pride in the work they do every day. It’s a chance for our colleagues to share a big part of their lives with their young people. For colleagues who supported the running of these events, it was a real growth opportunity, with activities such as event planning, presenting, facilitation and communication.

What hopes or ambitions do you have for next year's events?
Our ambition is to continue building on the success of this year's programme by reaching even more young people, engaging more colleagues across the enterprise both in the UK and internationally, sharing best practices across sites. We would like to further enhance the interactive elements of the day, broaden exposure to different career paths and create even more opportunities for young people to meet employees from a wide range of backgrounds and professions. Ultimately, we want every participant to leave feeling inspired and more confident about the possibilities available to them in the future.

Can you share a standout moment that shows the impact our employees had on the young people who visited?
My standout moment is always seeing a young person who arrives quietly and unsure of themselves leave at the end of the day full of confidence, asking questions about engineering, technology or future careers. That change is only possible because of the incredible employees who volunteer their time, share their experiences and genuinely invest in inspiring the next generation. It's a reminder of the powerful impact our people have beyond their day jobs.
It really nice seeing the young people bonding and creating friendships through this process too with people they may never have had the chance to meet. The enthusiasm shown by employees and the genuine interest they take in encouraging the next generation consistently creates moments that leave a lasting impression on both the young people and their families. This impact is reflected in the many social media posts shared by colleagues who bought their young people to these events.