JCB is recruiting 100 new welders for its Staffordshire factories as demand for its products continues to soar, the company announced today.

The recruitment drive has just got underway for the permanent jobs at JCB’s World Headquarters and its plants in Cheadle and Uttoxeter.

In September, JCB 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 – and all gained permanent JCB jobs.

The news comes as demand for JCB machines reaches historic highs with most products now sold out until next year. It also comes in a year when JCB has recruited 1,350 new shop floor employees and handed permanent JCB contracts to 1,000 agency employees.

Commenting on the recruitment drive, Mark Turner, JCB’s Chief Operating Officer, said:

“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.”

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.