NISSAN’S record-breaking Sunderland Plant has announced 25 new apprenticeships on its prestigious Trainee Maintenance Technician Scheme.
The 25 posts will take the number of apprentices taken on at the plant to 1,073 in its 26-year history.
The new trainees will become part of the highly-skilled maintenance team who maintain the production facilities at Nissan Sunderland Plant.
The structured programme leads to a foundation degree, and those accepted will also learn the Nissan Production Way, the foundation of the company’s manufacturing excellence.
The roles form part of an ongoing recruitment campaign at Nissan Sunderland Plant for engineers and maintenance technicians, as preparations continue for the launch of the new battery plant and production of the 100 per cent electric Nissan LEAF, and high demand for the Crossover models Qashqai and Juke continues.
Employment recently hit a record at the plant with more than 5,400 staff on site.
Nissan Sunderland Plant Engineering Director, Richard Ebrahim, who started his own career as an apprentice, said: ‘We are proud to support apprenticeships and would like to see more companies in our region doing so.
‘Hiring apprentices is a tried and tested way of investing in the future of the company.’
Nissan Sunderland Plant manufactured 480,485 units in 2010 which accounted for more than one in three of all passenger cars produced in the UK and broke the plant’s own all-time record for UK car manufacturing.
One of the plant’s current apprentices is Ethan Marshall, who has just been named Nissan Sunderland Plant’s Trainee Maintenance Technician of the Year. Ethan started the five-year scheme in January 2008 and is assigned to Trim and Chassis No. 1 Shop at the plant, where the Qashqai and Qashqai+2 are manufactured.
So much variety
Ethan, 21, from Chester-le-Street, is currently completing the final year of his foundation degree in maintenance engineering. His job involves activities such as facility improvements, software improvements, reducing breakdowns on equipment and AGV production cover.
He said: ‘I chose an apprenticeship because it would enable me to gain valuable qualifications in engineering, both practical and theoretical, while being paid. It also allows me to apply skills to real-life situations and, at the end, have a secure career with good prospects.
‘I applied to Nissan because it is the most productive plant in the UK and is at the forefront of the industry so it is exciting to be part of the process. I enjoy my job because every day is different and there is so much variety to the work.’