News : Jaguar is looking for 1100 new workers

Words: Enda Mullen, Birmingham Post Photography: Matt Howell, Octane magazine

Jaguar XJ leaves Castle Bromwich...

More than 1100 new jobs are to be created at Jaguar as the car-maker gears up for its biggest expansion programme yet. The new jobs are to support an ambitious product offensive by Jaguar Land Rover after the firm pledged to produce 40 new models over the next five years.

The announcement comes after Jaguar workers backed a crucial blueprint in favour of new workplace efficiencies, including some compulsory Saturday working. A host of new Jaguars are set to be built in Birmingham, the first being Jaguar XF Sportbrake, which goes into production later this year.

The Sportbrake will the first Jaguar estate car since the X-Type, which remains the only estate car the company has yet produced. It was built at the firm’s Halewood plant between 2004 and 2009. Unveiled earlier this year, the Sportbrake has been hailed as a serious challenger to premium estates built by German rivals Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Other models set to be produced at Castle Bromwich are the revised 2013 model year XF and XJ ranges featuring new engines and transmissions. Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, said: ‘Innovation in design, engineering and technology is at the core of our business and for the UK, this means we will continue to invest in new products, develop new technologies and enhance the skills of our employees. The launch of our latest Jaguar models, including the new XF Sportbrake later this year, means it is a very exciting time for Jaguar. These new models will attract new customers to the brand as we look to expand our global reach and further enhance our position in the market.’

JLR added that the launch of the new models would also support thousands of jobs in the UK supply chain. Jaguar has seen its sales soar to more than 29,000 vehicles in the first six months of 2012, a 19 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2011.

Welcoming the new jobs, Des Thurlby, HR director at JLR said: ‘We have embarked on the most ambitious recruitment campaign in the company’s history, hiring 8,000 people in the last two years. We provide high quality training and development for all of our employees so this latest announcement for 1100 jobs is great news for the West Midlands and the UK supply chain.’

[Source: Birmingham Post]

Keith Adams

12 Comments

  1. Aah Jaguar. A staff member at Stratstones told me that the site is filling up with traded-in audis and bmws because everyone wants an XF.

  2. Indeed. Great to see the workforce getting behind the manufacturer- unlike in the 1970’s when it seemed like the Trade Unions did all they could to scupper any chance of success for the sake of short-term gains.

  3. Good News for JLR and employment in the Midlands. Would love an XF Sportsbrake, but unfortunately unless I have a winning ticket for Fridays 100 Millionaires it won’t be.

    The only down news was that in a survey completed by What Car and Warranty Direct, Land Rover was bottom of the list for reliability in used cars. But that is not exactly news is it.

  4. When blurred as above the new XJ almost looks nice. It breaks my heart to say it but the Merc CLS is what the X350 (onwards) should have looked like. The X351 still looks like an Audi to me. I’ve had ten plus XJs over the years – still peeved about the generic looks of the new ‘uns.

  5. @6 – I don’t agree – I think the CLS looks too germanic, just as the Xj does. What it should have looked like is the Fisker Karma.

  6. I wish longbridge was doing the same. I wonder if they would be launching and making such exciting new models as JLR. Retro was not for Jaguar and it certainly did not work for Rover.

  7. I personally still see a place for the Rover brand somewhere in those 40 new models. I wonder if anybody at JLR agrees?

  8. #9 @WarrenL — Couldn’t agree more, Rover Vs Volvo/Audi/VW, Jaguar Vs BMW/Mercedes, LR & RR Vs the rest.

  9. #10 Jaguar Vs Audi and Bmw, Rover Vs Mercedes ’cause Jaguar and Audi are sport brands while Mercedes is only luxury brand

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.