Hybrid vehicle engineering: A vehicle to hybridise engineers

摘要

Powertrain hybridisation adds significant complexity to vehicles beyond that of their conventional counterparts. Simultaneously, the skills gap in engineering graduates grows ever wider and the rapid pace of change in technology threatens the skills relevance of the existing automotive workforce. Despite this, industry drivers mandate yet more technological advancements. This paper describes initiatives at the University of Warwick utilising WMG's research facilities to bridge the skills gap and upskill existing engineers. It presents several novel activities and innovative tools for skills development, detailing delivery via the Technical Accreditation Scheme (TAS) through a notable educational partnership with Jaguar Land Rover as part of the company's Academy for life-long learning. Measures to maintain timely relevance to industry's low-carbon agenda are outlined. Analysis of the TAS programme's commercial return on investment is summarised, stakeholder experiences of the new 2016 hybrid and electric vehicle modules are discussed, and next steps for further development and deployment of the provision are identified.