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Nissan’s bid to drive down unemployment

A new revolutionary training initiative involving Gateshead College could help hundreds of unemployed people secure jobs at Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK this year.

The plan, which has already led to more than 200 people being taken on at the Washington-based car giant, is designed to get unemployed North Easterners back into the workplace.

Kevin Mott, head of national business development and curriculum at Gateshead College, said: “This unprecedented initiative will help to tackle regional unemployment.

“We are the only college training this volume of people. The number of people converted to full time employees is good and well above the national average for this sort of programme.

“Moreover, the skills they gained should stand them in good stead as their careers progress within Nissan over the coming years.”

Through Jobcentre Plus, unemployed people can complete a five-week long training course where they will be equipped with new skills and the chance of employment at Nissan.

Gateshead College is working with Nissan and NAC to deliver the training onsite at the Washington car plant, where literacy and numeracy skills, interview techniques and aptitude skills are taught to groups of job seekers.

Training at NAC’s Green Collar Training Centre within the Nissan plant then follows, where potential recruits are given production line experience and shown how to complete tasks like vehicle painting, installing windscreens and assembly techniques.

The best students will then undertake a final production line trial, where they are assessed by former Nissan supervisors to see if they possess the skills to achieve contracts on the new car line.

More than 550 jobseekers have completed the programme and dozens have secured jobs with Nissan.

Steve Pallas, training manager at Nissan, added: “We are very pleased with how well the programme is panning out and the quality of people coming through.

“They are motivated, enthusiastic and keen to learn the specialist skills that are required to become part of a highly skilled workforce that is vital to our business success.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .