JAGUAR Land Rover – Britain’s biggest car maker – says it is to create 5,000 more jobs.
It is not yet clear where, but it is highly likely many will be at Jaguar Land Rover’s growing operations at Castle Bromwich, Whitley and Gaydon.
The Big Cat says it will hire 1,000 electronic and software engineers and 4,000 other staff including in manufacturing and production.
Recruitment will begin later this year to add to the 40,000 staff employed across the world by the company owned by India conglomerate Tata Motors.
JLR boasts a record year partly due to demand for its cars from the USA and China, and is seeking to develop new models including electric cars.
The company has teamed up with digital cartoon band Gorillaz – featuring Blur’s Damon Albarn – via the ‘virtual’ band’s app – in an attempt to reach out to untapped pool of creative talent as potential candidates.
JLR said: “The best performers will be fast-tracked through the recruitment process, helping to meet Jaguar Land Rover’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, inspire and attract a diverse range of talent and new thinking.”
The firm is expanding its operations at Whitley and with a new £7million Classic car works facility at Prologis Park at Ryton-on-Dunsmore, where classic and heritage cars and preserved and restored.
The region is also anticipating a government announcement which it is hoped will give the go-ahead for a National Battery Prototype Centre, involving Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at Warwick University – which could bring thousands more jobs.
