Jaguar Land Rover recruiting 500 for Soilhull expansion

Car manufacturer plans to increase its workforce at Solihull to almost 8,000

Jaguar Land Rover has started recruiting for the first phase of 1,700 new jobs to support production of vehicles in the UK.

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

The car manufacturer, which is investing £1.5 billion in the UK, 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 added: “The government is investing £1 billion 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.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron visited the car giant's new £500 million engine manufacturing centre in Wolverhampton last week. The plant will produce a new design of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines for the next generation of Jaguars and Land Rovers. Almost 1,400 jobs will be created by the time the plant reaches its full capacity. The first engines will come off the assembly line in early 2015.