In recent months it seems as if there has been nothing but bad news going to worse with austerity measures set to get stricter and so many companies downsizing their workforces. However, in what may be a light at the end of the tunnel for more than 1,000 people in the West Midlands, JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) has announced tey will be taking applications for their Solihull plant.
At the moment there are almost 5,000 employees at this facility and this addition will add 25% to that number. The company expects to receive thousands of applications for skilled trades men and women along with production operators.
The company notes that these will be well-paid jobs that have ‘great benefits.’ JLR began a recruiting campaign via the media with adverts in print and radio. This year alone 3,500 jobs have been recruited, or are in the process of being recruited for, some of which are corporate positions in purchasing and financing.
Those who were recruited in the West Midlands back in April are mostly employed in engineering at Whitley and Gaydon and along with those 1,000 positions approximately 1,500 apprenticeship positions were added at the Halewood, Merseyside plant.
On the heels of this news, Prime Minister David Cameron noted that this is positive news for growth in the UK that had once been under the threat of going under. He further mentioned their ambitious plans to expand their product line.
With the announcement of these new jobs, politicians, manufacturers and analysts are stating that this is one further indication that an investment in the UK auto industry is a good one. Although 1,000 new jobs will not bring the UK out of debt crisis, it is a start in the right direction.
