employment 4 students - The UK's most visited student jobsite

Menu

Norton Motorcycles To Create 200 Apprenticeships

29 Jul 2015

Norton Motorcycles To Create 200 Apprenticeships

A £7.5 million cash injection will allow Norton Motorcycles to create 200 apprenticeships and support a further 400 jobs.

Over half of the investment money has been put up by the government, with the balance of £3.5 million coughed up by Norton themselves.

In addition to the 200 Leicestershire apprenticeships at Donington Park, Norton will also create a further 100 vacancies within their own company, and a further 300 jobs will be generated in the supply chain. At the moment, Norton only employs around 100 people at its Leicester base, so the new jobs will quadruple their workforce in the city.

Explaining the expansion model for the motorcycle firm over the next few years, Stuart Garner, Norton’s chief executive and owner, said: “The Chancellor's office said they had had a look at us and wanted to have a talk and we went on to have a meeting. This support means we can develop two new engine platforms and a total of 600 jobs over the next five years – half of them with our supply chain. We need to invest in the future and this money will pay for skills and training. We are putting in £4 million, but over four or five years there will be £20 million going into the business, giving us four new models.”

Norton currently manufactures around 1,000 bikes a year, but the expansion will allow them to increase production to a possible 6,000 per year, subject to demand. Around one in five Norton motorcycles is purchased in the UK, but approximately 800 bikes are shipped overseas each year.

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “Norton Motorcycles is a brilliant example of what's going on in the British economy and within the East Midlands. This company is manufacturing in Britain with British parts and creating jobs for the future.”

“As a result we have worked together to create the British Motorcycle Manufacturing Academy and the next generation of engineers – not just within Norton, but in the supply chain. Motorcycles were once a great British industry and now we've got fantastic brands like Norton selling its bikes around the world. It's an incredible British success story. This is a chance to grow motorcycle brands in Britain and to train a workforce,” added Mr Osborne.

If you are a young person in Leicestershire who wants to get a career off to a flying start, then check out the latest entry level positions on or page of Apprenticeships In Leicester.

Find your perfect job now!

Register now to let employers find you and be notified about the latest relevant jobs