LIFESTYLE NEWS: Gorillaz Launch Innovative App To Identify New Engineering Talent
Jaguar Land Rover has joined forces with Gorillaz to address the global shortfall in engineering talent, by launching a new innovative mixed reality app to inspire future generations and identify bright sparks to fill 1,000 new roles.
The best performers will be fast-tracked through the recruitment process, helping to meet the company’s ambition to employ thousands of bright new talents over
the next year. It’s a major change in the way the business looks for candidates, aiming to tackle the engineering skills gap and inspire and attract a diverse range of talent and new thinking.
The app is a 360-environment situated in the garage of the band’s home which also features all the iconic vehicles from Gorillaz’ past. Here, applicants can explore and take a two-part challenge. The first part, designed to educate users about the benefits of electric vehicles, involves assembling the Jaguar I-PACE Concept, Jaguar’s first all-electric five-seater sports car. The second and more demanding part of the game, developed to engage and recruit budding electronic wizards and coders, will focus on cracking code – there are more than 4,000 combinations, as well as cipher in an alternate reality format. The challenges put a stronger focus on skills and talents than on qualifications.
Jaguar Land Rover is hoping the mixed reality app will tackle the engineering skills shortfall by attracting a diverse range of talent. As well as identify talent, the company hopes to both inspire the next generation of engineers and also attract more women to the profession. Only 9% of the UK engineering workforce is female – this has remained the same since 2005 (IET 2015). In fact, the UK has the lowest percentage of female engineering professionals in Europe, while Latvia, Bulgaria and Cyprus lead with nearly 30% of the engineering workforce female.
