A SIXTH former’s dreams of becoming a car designer have moved into top gear after securing a placement with global phenomenon Jaguar.
Motor-mad Northallerton College student Ollie Nixon will spend time at the luxury brand’s Midlands headquarters working alongside some of the most accomplished designers in the world. Jaguar/Land Rover is enjoying unprecedented success with its prestige cars being driven by celebrities and the world’s wealthy. Production has had to move onto 24/7 shift patterns to meet demand for its luxury models in this country and around the globe. Ollie, of Danby Wiske, has been interested in cars since he was a child and is a big fan of the cult BBC motoring programme Top Gear. Studying A Levels in graphics, art and business studies at Northallerton College, he is planning to read a degree in design engineering at Sheffield Hallam University, a specialist department in the field. “I am just so excited; I can’t wait to work with the Jaguar designers down in Gaydon,” the 18-year-old said. “I am hoping the contact will lead to something permanent in the future. My cousin is a manager there and loves it. It is such a great brand. “I have always loved cars and watched Top Gear with my dad for as long as I can remember. I can’t think about doing anything else than automotive design.” Head of sixth form Bronia Harris said: “I know Jaguar is inundated with requests for placements and Ollie has done exceptionally well to secure one. He is already motivated and I’m looking forward to seeing how his aspirations have been fuelled by such and incredible opportunity to work in its design studios.”
