Ford Australia grabs more grads

[Wretched]

Ford Australia is proving the end of local manufacturing doesn’t mean the end of local jobs – announcing it will further bolster its workforce for its first year as an import-only business.

The company will hire 23 graduates in 2017 to fill various positions across its Victorian operations, including product development, marketing, sales and finance.

Ford will also recruit designers for the first time since it restarted its Graduate Program in 2015.

The move is part of Ford’s plan to be Australia’s biggest automotive employee from 2018, following the cessation of vehicle production in October.

It aims to eventually employ about 1500 staff across its Research and Development Centre in Geelong, Proving Ground in Lara, and its Design Centre and Asia Pacific Product Development Centre, both in Broadmeadows.

Ford Australia’s director of vehicle programs at its Product Development Centre, Dave French, says the recruits are vital to the company’s revised status as a development hub for the One Ford empire.

“Ford graduates in Australia will play a significant role in shaping the future of the automotive industry globally, working right here in Australia,” said French.

“Because we are part of Ford’s global team, we work locally to create great vehicles for markets all over the world.

“We believe we have a real advantage investing this heavily in Australia because the country has rich talent and one of the leading educational systems in the world.”

The Ranger ute and Ford Everest SUV are Ford Australia’s most prominent examples of locally developed vehicles for global markets, though it continues to work on multiple projects that are less public.

The 23 new hires will take Ford Australia’s graduate recruitment total to 59 since it re-introduced its Graduate Program.

The company plans to launch 20 new or facelifted models by 2020.

http://www.wheelsmag.com.au/news/160...abs-more-grads

[FalconXV]

Interesting timing and an absolute fraction of the people who are about to be left jobless.

[simon varley]

this is the third consecutive year the graduate program has run since it was restarted, so not a coincidence at all really

[Wretched]

Some people are just never happy.

[CyberWasp]

Is there any speculation as to what all these designers and engineers are working on?
What will be the next 'Australian Designed' Car from Ford after the Everest?

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by FalconXV

Interesting timing and an absolute fraction of the people who are about to be left jobless.

The amount of people that have been hired in the engineering/design sectors at Ford will cover it.

[simon varley]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

What will be the next 'Australian Designed' Car from Ford after the Everest?

in a word - awesome!

[fps_grandma]

It's better than having the bare minimum of only sales, marketing, logistics and dealer networks only like certain brands on the market.

As far as I know so far GM Holden, Ford MCA and Toyota MCA have a manufacturing and/or technical presence and to a certain extent Nissan (Casting plant not full vehicle assembly) but Ford as of late seems to make their local engineering and technical presence as public as they can.

Anyway,

Dear Ford Aus,

As this is a public forum the most I will succinctly reveal is that I have had experience with Formula SAE. Please send me a personal message as I too am interested.

Sincerely yours,
A junior engineer

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by FalconXV

Interesting timing and an absolute fraction of the people who are about to be left jobless.

Maybe Ford Au should just completely shut up shop then. Zero Australian Ford jobs is better than 1500 right.

[stoodoo]

Originally Posted by Ben73

Maybe Ford Au should just completely shut up shop then. Zero Australian Ford jobs is better than 1500 right.

1500 jobs is a lot better than none but i'm sure sooner rather than later, these people will lose their jobs as well (when Ford realizes they can employ engineers from asian countries, that'll work for pennies).

[Bossxr8]

They just don't have the experience. And qualified engineers are thin on the ground anyway over there. Could take decades to get a qualified workforce.

[Polyal]

Thats great news..hmm might have to look at engineering vacancies.

I had bad timing, did the co-op with them (went for 16 months) then my final year project and the Grad program was scrapped.

I wish they would do back to an internal HR process, Bayside are not great to deal with.

[SensationFG8]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

They just don't have the experience. And qualified engineers are thin on the ground anyway over there. Could take decades to get a qualified workforce.

Sometimes I think senior managers see their workforce as widgets that are interchangeable. I hope the management and Ford understand it takes qualifications and experience to do the jobs. I've seen a few companies that didn't realise it and opted for the cheaper overseas widgets, it did not end well.

[Elements]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Thats great news..hmm might have to look at engineering vacancies.

I had bad timing, did the co-op with them (went for 16 months) then my final year project and the Grad program was scrapped.

I wish they would do back to an internal HR process, Bayside are not great to deal with.

For contractor positions, Bayside have some competition now. There's 2 more agencies supplying into Ford (in addition to Bayside)...

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by SensationFG8

Sometimes I think senior managers see their workforce as widgets that are interchangeable. I hope the management and Ford understand it takes qualifications and experience to do the jobs. I've seen a few companies that didn't realise it and opted for the cheaper overseas widgets, it did not end well.

The senior managers were the ones that got the design and eng off the ground. They fought for what they have now. These cars are not easy to know whats happening.