Nissan Ireland is planning to hire 40 new apprentices before the end of this year as it attempts to address a perceived skills shortage when it comes to the future of the motor industry as more and more people look to autonomous and electric cars.
Hiring is set to begin immediately. The successful candidates will then be placed in dealerships across the country, with the apprenticeship lasting for four years under the Nissan Generation Next Apprentice Academy.
The academy was established to identify talented technicians looking to get a foothold in the industry. The top-performing graduate will receive a scholarship to pursue an automotive engineering degree at a third-level institute, as well as the use of a new Nissan for a year.
Applicants need to have a Leaving Cert qualification, with Nissan taking particular interest in first and second-year engineering students who are thinking about a change in direction. The closing date for applications is Friday, November 25th.
James McCarthy, CEO of Nissan Ireland, told the Irish Independent:
"This is an exciting time to be employed in the motor industry.
"Nissan is driving the development of autonomous and electric vehicles.
"We have a very clear vision of where we see the motor industry in 2020 and our apprentices will be trained to ensure that we realise it and to lead the way into the future
"We created the Academy to future-proof our business and our aim is to fully train and retain our apprentices across our dealer network."
The Nissan Leaf is one of the most popular electric cars in Ireland and the world, while Nissan has just been revealed to be the fifth biggest-selling car manufacturer in the country overall.
