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McLaren automotive backs search to find automotive industry stars of the future

• Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award: unique manufacturing experience guaranteed with call for students to enter by 28th August 2011
• Top prize, five months automotive work experience, including a month at McLaren and £7,500 prize money
• McLaren Automotive Research Director, Dick Glover, to sit on judging panel

McLaren Automotive is encouraging students to enter a money can't buy competition and get their hands on priceless work experience within the car industry, as well as a £7,500 cash prize. The Next Generation Award is run and managed by Autocar and Courland Automotive Practice and McLaren Automotive has offered the unique opportunity for the winner to spend an exciting month at McLaren working with designers and engineers.

Dick Glover, McLaren Automotive's Research Director, and previously Technical Director for the groundbreaking new high performance sports car the MP4-12C, will be sitting on the judging panel and said: "I'm really looking forward to judging the awards and am interested in seeing how students with a desire to work in the car industry adapt the brief to best suit their area of expertise. McLaren is a technologically advanced company so I will be looking for applicants who really think about pushing the boundaries of the automotive business. Manufacturing is key to the economic structure in the UK, and I am proud that McLaren is supporting this award."

The Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award is a national competition to identify, support and develop top automotive talent of the future. Entrants from UK universities are invited to answer in 500 words a brief set by Autocar's Editor-in-chief, Steve Cropley, who commented: "We are delighted that McLaren is involved in the Autocar Courland Next Generation Award this year. Our lucky winner will have an amazing experience as part of the world of McLaren; it's the stuff of dreams. For students, work experience is nowadays a vital step in the process of building a career. The McLaren opportunity will undoubtedly widen our winner's horizons."
Martin Bohling, Global Managing Partner, Courland Automotive Practice said: "We are encouraging all students from numerous courses to look to the automotive industry for their first step into the world of employment. The industry offers numerous and wide ranging opportunities for enthusiastic graduates - it's innovative, inspiring and challenging.  The industry is most definitely not just for the petrol head."

The Brief:  Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award 2011
Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award entries should be no more than 500 words long and written in English. They should also include images or illustrations, if relevant, to answer the following brief:

"Using your area of expertise, write a 500-word proposal suggesting some improvement (be it an invention, a legislative change, a change to corporate policy or the adoption of a new convention) which you believe would be a worthwhile benefit to the automotive business, on a small or large scale."

Applicants ideas will be assessed on the following criteria:

Innovation
The concept presented must be an original idea. We are ideally looking for something that is new or that builds on existing ideas. The concept might demonstrate lateral thinking, creativity and "thinking outside the box", bringing new approaches to old problems.

Communication
The winner will be able to communicate their idea in a clear manner, both verbally and via their written application (use of diagrams is encouraged). We are looking for individuals who are able to simplify complex problems, who can be concise and who are able to inspire their audience. Accuracy and clarity are key.

Strategy
Each of 12 candidates who make the 'longlist' will be given the opportunity to attend one of three assessment days before the shortlist is produced. This stage is considered as part of the assessment process and allows each candidate to present their idea in person to a panel of assessment day judges - providing valuable interview experience and feedback.
No entries will be accepted after midnight on the 28th August 2011.

For further information on the Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award 2011 please visit here