Jaguar’s recruitment drive goes up a gear with 500 new posts

The company said 500 production staff will be taken on as part of expansion plans at its factory in Solihull.

The carmaker is investing £1.5bn in the UK and plans to increase its workforce at Solihull to almost 8,000.

Alan Volkaerts, operations director at Jaguar Land Rover, said: “Our recruitment drive reinforces our commitment to the UK automotive industry which also benefits the wider supply chain and overall UK economy.”

Business Minister Michael Fallon said: “Jaguar Land Rover is an advanced manufacturing success story – their recruitment is another boost to our thriving car industry.

“The Government is investing £1bn jointly with industry to keep the UK at the cutting edge of automotive technology.

“As part of our industrial strategy, we will continue to work collaboratively to give companies the confidence to invest and create strong growth for the future.”

Yorkshire is home to a number of key suppliers to Jaguar Land Rover, including BorgWarner and GSM Group.

Last summer, BorgWarner said it would build a new production line and engineering centre in Bradford to supply turbocharging systems to Jaguar Land Rover.

The turbochargers would be used in Jaguar Land Rover’s family of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, expected to launch in 2015.

The new centre is receiving a grant from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, set up to encourage private sector investment.

BorgWarner said its investment will add 130 new skilled jobs to the workforce of 440.