大象传媒

Since its European launch in March 2007, 130,000 Qashqais have been sold. As a result, Nissan has boosted production at Sunderland by 20% to help meet demand.

By December 2008, 800 additional manufacturing staff will be recruited. Of these, 400 will be given permanent positions, with the remainder on temporary contracts. Production trainees start on 拢20,500 a year.

Trevor Mann, the Senior Vice President for Manufacturing & Supply Chain Management, Nissan Europe, says: "Currently on two shifts, we can produce 200,000 Qashqais per year. However, the car is proving so popular we now need to significantly increase our volume.

"Ultimately, how many we produce will be determined by the market, but we have identified the need for a third shift."

Job for life

Mark Norton, 45, was made redundant from his job in I.T. but is now optimistic about his future on Wearside.

"I was recently made redundant in Carlisle, so I've been looking for work ... and one of them was to apply to work at Nissan."

"I had heard there were quite a few applicants and I wasn't too sure that I'd get it or not because the wages aren't bad.

Lee training for Nissan

"There could potentially be a job for life and that was one of the deciding factors."

Getting up to speed

Lee Livermole describes the wage as "very competitive" which is unsurprising since there probably aren't too many 21-year-olds earning the same as him. He is looking forward to getting to grips with the demanding job.

Lee says: "They explain things well, show you how to do things properly in a certain amount of time, it's got to be up to speed and all done professionally.

"I hope to be here for a lot of years."

All walks of life

Don Mole has worked for Nissan for 22 years and was chosen to help filter through the thousands of job applications for the 800 jobs up for grabs.

Don said: "Back in February I was taken off the production line to help with the recruitment for the 800 staff. We've had people from all walks of life, all age groups, male and female.

Don training an employee

"Obviously the financial gain and security of the job has attracted plenty of people."

The chosen few hundred have such varied backgrounds that most of them have to be trained from scratch. Don explains what's in store for the chosen trainees before they get their hands on the real Qashqai:

Don said: "Two days induction, then they come to the global training centre and they start two days basic skills. That gives them an insight and basic skills for when they hit the shop floor.

"It's actually six days before they see the production line. They work one hour off then one hour on and naturally progress into the role of manufacturing staff."

Nissan has also announced plans to build a new model at its Wearside plant, safeguarding more than 1,000 jobs.