VISION
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
OUR APPRENTICES
Some of JLR’s youngest people work on JLR’s oldest cars. At Jaguar Land Rover Classic, seven young apprentices learn their skills on historic vehicles such as Jaguar E-Type and XJ220, and early Land Rovers and Range Rovers. The vehicles are invariably older than they are, and in some cases older than their grandparents.
‘It’s crucial that the younger generation learn the skills to keep these wonderful and beautiful old vehicles on the road,’ says final year apprentice James Barrett, 20.
Our Team
Classic Apprentices
Jaguar Land Rover Classic is dedicated to preserving and restoring its wonderful motoring heritage. Jaguar’s heritage goes back more than 100 years, and Land Rover’s 76 years. The Classic Works facility in Ryton, West Midlands is a purpose-built operation dedicated to historic vehicles, and is the largest of its kind in the world.
Here, James Barrett, Harry Seaton, Jay Southerton, Lewis Carroll, Olie Underwood, Will Panther and Jade Hands learn their craft from highly experienced mentors. All work on the shopfloor, all on classic Jaguar or Land Rover vehicles – including servicing and restoring.
Our Team
JADE HANDS
Jade, 22, a third-year apprentice, is the only female. Another young woman will join her in next year’s apprentice intake, alongside two young men. ‘My dad works for JLR, so I know it’s a good company to work for,’ says Jade. ‘I’d seen the modern cars and thought they were brilliant but didn’t know anything about the classics.’ Jade is correcting that by not only working on the shopfloor, but also in the archive room.
‘I get terrific one-to-one mentoring from engineering managers like Marta Igareta-Moreno. We need to learn the wisdom of our mentors, so we can help preserve the company’s heritage.’ She is training to be a technician, like all the Jaguar Land Rover Classic apprentices. One day, she would like to work in engineering.
Jade now loves JLR classic vehicles. ‘They’re such beautiful cars. I’ve been on test rides and hearing people shout, “wow look at that car!” gives me a great sense of pride.’
As the only female apprentice and the only woman on the shopfloor, Jade says work can be daunting. ‘But my managers are great and they understand the need for greater diversity. They know a good female technician can strip a diff or suspension just as skilfully as any man.’ Mentor Marta Igareta-Moreno has been at Classic for two years and is one of many examples of successful senior female engineers at JLR.
Our Team
JAMES BARRET
Final year apprentice James Barrett has long been fascinated by classic cars. ‘I love the design of classic cars. Looking after them is not a skill set that is being handed down. That’s why the Jaguar Land Rover Classic apprenticeships are so important.’
James also owns two classics – a Series II Land Rover, purchased in 2021 which had been parked in a barn in Somerset since 1980, and a Series III bought last year. ‘I have nut-and-bolt restored the Series II and it’s just had its first drive.’
His mentor Chris Madden is a 45-year JLR veteran and a specialist in servicing the XJ220 supercar. When it was launched in 1992, it was the fastest production car in the world. James regularly helps Chris service this exciting and historic Jaguar. James is also currently building an early ’60s Jaguar Mk2 for the Goodwood Revival meeting in September.
Our Team
Will Panther
First year apprentice Will Panther, 20, has also been fascinated by cars since he was a child. ‘My grandad worked for Jaguar at Browns Lane ages ago. He always said his job was a great inconvenience to him. I don’t feel that way at all. I love my job.’ He is particularly fond of Range Rovers – from the first, right up to the latest. ‘The wonderful history of Range Rover is one of the reasons the new ones sell so well. When people buy a JLR car, they buy into the legacy.’
Final-year apprentice Lewis Carroll, 30, had several jobs – including working winter and summer seasons in Lech, Austria – before starting his apprenticeship in 2020. He still spends time hiking, bouldering, and ‘helping my partner’s father with horsebox repairs’.
Youngest apprentice Harry Seaton, 17, has a strong interest in cars. He loves restoring classic cars, ‘each with a different story and background’.
Meanwhile 19-year-old Jay Southerton grew passionate about old cars at a young age. ‘My parents regularly took me to classic car shows. When I got older, I knew I wanted to work on them. This apprenticeship was a perfect fit for me.’
Third year apprentice Oli Underwood, 24, says he’s very into classic cars. He has spent most of his time at Jaguar Land Rover Classic working on the Series I, the original Land Rover model built from 1948-1957. This includes the Series I Reborn programme – cars perfectly restored from the ground up, by Jaguar Land Rover Classic.
It's one of the many programmes JLR offers to ensure its historic cars continue to run and enthral a new generation of car enthusiasts – all ably assisted by skilled young apprentices.
