JCB has announced it is to recruit 100 new welders for its Staffordshire factories following a ‘soaring’ demand for its products.
The recruitment drive is already underway for the permanent roles at the firm’s World Headquarters, as well as its plants in Cheadle and Uttoxeter.
Further to this, the firm will also welcome an additional 15 new recruits on to its fabrication and welding apprenticeship. In the past three years, almost 70 welding apprentices have passed their courses – all of whom went on to gain permanent JCB jobs.
The firm said that the latest recruitment drive comes as demand for JCB machines reaches ‘historic highs’ with most products now sold out until 2022. It also follows a year in which JCB has recruited 1,350 new shop floor employees, and handed permanent contractors to 1,000 agency employees.
JCB chief operating officer, Mark Turner, said, “Over the past five years the number of welders in the UK has shrunk, which presents businesses with a big challenge at times of high demand. JCB has been working very hard over the past few years to tackle this shortage and attract new entrants to this highly-skilled job with its apprenticeship and training programmes, which have been very successful.
“We are delighted to be building on that success with the creation of 100 permanent new welders’ jobs. We offer some of the best conditions and pay rates in the region and with opportunities for nightshift work and overtime, this is great news for welders in the area looking to join a successful global company.”
