Interviewing automotive engineers at Jaguar Land Rover and MIRA

The OICA (International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers) states that there are around 9m engineers working in the automotive industry with an estimated 50m 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, Rebecca Lees, Body Structures Engineer, Jaguar Land Rover, comments: “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.” See Rebecca's interview below.

Craig Cochrane, Senior Engineer - Road Load Data, 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 in on in 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.”

David Wood, Engineer - Braking, MIRA, added: “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!”

The interviews are just one part of FISITA’s website for students and young engineers (www.yourfutureinautomotive.com). 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. See all the interviews on the Your Future In Automotive YouTube channel.