MIRA Graduates Feature in FISITA’s Campaign to Attract Young People into the Automotive Industry
FISITA (International Federation of Automotive Engineering Societies) has launched a second series of ‘behind the scenes’ interviews with engineers at MIRA and Jaguar Land Rover, aimed at attracting young people to start a career in the automotive industry.
The OICA (International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers) states that there are around 9 million engineers working in the automotive industry with an estimated 50 million jobs created by the automotive industry in total. FISITA recognises that more needs to be done to break down negative and false perceptions around the term ‘engineering’ and to inspire young people to consider an exciting future as an engineer in automotive.
In the interviews, Craig Cochrane, Senior Engineer – Road Load Data at MIRA, said:
“Work placements in engineering are fantastically important at an early age. They really give young people a chance to understand the detail of what really goes on in an engineering company. We have the opportunity to drive the next phase of technology in the industry; we don’t have to wait for it to happen. We can actually find out where we should be trying to go and then push those boundaries.”
Click here to watch Craig’s video.
Rebecca Lees, Body Structures Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, said:
“Being a female engineer in a male-dominated industry certainly, from my personal experience, has always been a benefit. I’m the one that’s remembered because I stand out from my male colleagues so certainly this shouldn’t be something that puts any female engineers off joining the automotive industry.”
Click here to watch Rebecca’s video.
David Wood, Engineer – Braking at MIRA, said:
“The automotive industry is a very exciting place to be at the moment. There’s obviously a lot of technological advancements, with electric cars, the constant need to reduce emissions, improve safety, all of these things keep it a hot topic and there’s so much development work going on….it’s never been a better time to join it!”
Click here to watch David’s video.
The interviews are just one part of FISITA’s website for students and young engineers. The interviews reveal the diverse routes each engineer has taken to pursue a career in the automotive industry covering subjects such as education experience, work placements, what their inspirations were and what motivates them about the automotive industry.
All interviews are available to view on the Your Future In Automotive YouTube channel and can be shared and embedded by schools, colleges, universities, recruitment providers and media channels free of any charge.
