Who are Nissan?
About Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK LTD – Sunderland Plant
Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK (NMUK) is the jewel in the crown of Nissan’s manufacturing presence in Europe. As Britain’s largest car production plant of all time, and the fastest car plant in UK automotive history to reach the two million mark with one model, the Qashqai, Nissan Sunderland Plant is a record-breaking facility.
Nissan has a rich history of car production in the UK. With over 6,700 team members and in excess of 7.7 million cars produced since the first Nissan Bluebird rolled off the line in 1986, more than £3.5bn has been invested in its development.
The production process begins in the Press Shop, then the plant splits into two lines as vehicles enter the welding process in the Body Shop before going through the Paint Shop and finally into the Trim & Chassis (Final Assembly) shops.
The plant also has its own Castings Plant for manufacturing cylinder heads, a Unit Shop for petrol engine assembly, an Axle Plant for suspension fabrication, Plastic Moulding facilities for making bumpers and a lithium-ion battery plant which fuels Nissan’s two all-electric vehicles, the Nissan LEAF and e-NV200.
Extensions are currently being built to the Body Shop and to Trim & Chassis Line 2 to accommodate the new facilities required for manufacturing premium vehicles under the company’s Infiniti brand from 2015.
“The plant’s growth has mirrored the rise of the Nissan brand in our European markets. We have found a winning formula made up of this plant’s operational excellence, coupled with the best product line-up we have ever had, and a cross-functional team working throughout the company towards the same goals.”
Kevin Fitzpatrick, Vice President for Manufacturing, UK
What projects / schemes / initiatives to support women’s recruitment, retention and progression in STEM are Nissan involved in?
Opportunities at Nissan:
Graduate Scheme
Our Graduate Scheme lasts between 24 and 30 months, and is designed with you in mind. No matter which area of our (extremely complex) business you join, you’ll benefit from exceptional training, support and mentorship. Add the variety that comes from making a big impact on diverse projects and we can help you to progress a career to be proud of.
That said, it’ll be ultimately down to you to drive it. Whilst we’ll support you to develop new skills and experiences – we’ll expect you to identify these areas of personal and professional development. We’ve a wealth of expertise in every team. So, there are managers on hand to guide your training and development. Plus an HR department dedicated to helping you to refine your career aspirations – and of course, achieve them. It’s all part of our passion for attracting, developing and retaining the talented people we need to shape the future of a truly exciting industry.
It’s this approach that has enabled many of our previous graduates to secure high profile positions here
Industrial Placement
An Industrial Placement with us is an opportunity not to be missed. It’s your chance to join us for one year in a full-time role and gain real industry experience. Run by NA College, our Placement Programme will give you solid experience, real work and accountability. It’s the chance to put everything you’ve learnt so far into practice.
It’s also no surprise that competition for places on our Industrial Placement Programme is tough. Due in part to our scope for gaining unrivalled industry exposure to the area of our business that suits your skills and ambitions best:
Apprentices
Studying for a degree isn’t for everyone. If it isn’t for you, you can still achieve professional qualifications and a really progressive career at Nissan. We’ll offer you exceptional challenges and opportunities right across the business, plus plenty of scope to develop your career and influence the continuing success of our Company. Working in a close-knit team, you’ll also find yourself in regular contact with people from all functions and at all levels in whichever area you join.
Our Total Quality philosophy ensures quality across every area of the business, not just the production line. It also extends to the high quality training you’ll receive. Because we believe by making a total commitment to your development, we’ll help you fulfill your potential at the heart of our business. And, thanks to this approach, many of our previous Apprentices now hold prominent positions within our organization.
Current schemes available include Maintenance, Administration Assistant and Manufacturing staff.
Qualified Engineering Opportunities
The face of car engineering is changing. And so are its engineers. The industry’s becoming leaner, cleaner and smarter.
And here at Nissan Sunderland, we’re leading the charge – with our pioneering electric car the Nissan LEAF and the arrival of our yet to be named Infiniti model, Nissan’s luxury brand.
We have several vacancies for qualified and experienced engineers across our comprehensive manufacturing process; these include Facilities Engineers, Planning and also Manufacturing engineers. Further details can be found at www.careersatnissan.co.uk.
Why did Nissan join WISE?
“Nissan’s recruitment team look for the best people irrespective of who they are or where they come from. As women drive and purchase our vehicles, we feel it is equally important that women are also building, designing and engineering our cars. As a company we’re committed to increasing the number of females in our workforce, which is why we are leading the way in creating opportunities for female STEM students.”
– Adrian Smart
