MORE than a hundred young people geared themselves up for a career with Midland car giant Jaguar Land Rover at an apprenticeship roadshow in Halesowen.

Windsor High School’s Business Centre hosted the event, to help young people in the area to secure apprenticeships with the firm.

A total of 136 people listened to JLR’s apprentice manager, Ian Eva, talk about the positions on offer, how to apply and how they could improve their applications by focussing on the skills and qualities that the company is looking for.

Would-be applicants also heard from two of Jaguar Land Rover’s current apprentices about their own experiences, how they got them and what they have been working on since they started.

The company, which is the UK’s largest automotive apprenticeship provider, is looking for 150 new recruits to join 500 current apprentices, at its various plants, including Castle Bromwich and the new i54 enterprise zone near Wolverhampton.

Event organiser, Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris urged school leavers and jobseekers to take advantage of the opportunities on offer.

He said: “As well as being one of the biggest names in British engineering, Jaguar Land Rover has one of the largest and best apprenticeship programmes in the country.

“Anybody who gets one of the 150 JLR apprentices can look forward to a fantastic future in one of the UK’s best-performing industries, and I want young people in Halesowen and Rowley Regis to get those opportunities.”

The deadline for applications is on Friday and more details can be found at www.jaguarlandrovercareers.com.