European Parliament voting on key future transport report

Photo: GM.

Members of the European Parliament are voting today on the adoption of a report which considers the impact of coming changes in the automotive, transport and mobility sectors in Europe, writes Brian Byrne.

Europe on the Move: an agenda for the future of mobility in the EU has been produced by the Committee on Transport and Tourism within the Parliament, and details inter alia with the impact on skills and jobs in the industries from digitisation, automation, and the eventual provision of driverless cars.

The report calls for more funding for cross-sector research and development in these areas, including funds to develop systems, services, and digital solutions for future transportation.

Infrastructural needs such as more electrification of railways, network and traffic management, and sustainability issues are also addressed, as are the implications for skills mismatch as technology changes shift the way transport-related industry operates.

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Windsor Motor Group creates 20 new jobs

Ireland’s largest retail motor group - Windsor Motor Group - is expanding and creating 20 new jobs with the opening of its fifteenth dealership nationwide, writes Trish Whelan.

The new jobs in sales, service and repair were announced with the opening of the new Windsor Long Mile Nissan dealership in Dublin.

Windsor Motor Group, which has an annual turnover of €200 million, now employs over 300 people at its dealerships in Dublin, Wicklow, Meath and Galway.

The motor group represents Nissan, Opel, Peugeot and Mazda and sells over 9,000 new and used vehicles in addition to servicing and repairing 25,000 vehicles a year, making it the market leading brand.

While the Windsor Long Mile Nissan dealership is predominately a commercial centre for new and used commercial vehicles, customers can also buy new and used cars and avail of various finance options. It will also provide service, trade parts and bodyshop services.

Newly appointed Managing Director of Windsor Motor Group, Peter Nicholson is pictured above with company brand ambassador and Leinster and Ireland rugby player Jack McGrath at the opening of Windsor Long Mile Nissan dealership.

Jobs available in motor trade

Fighting your way through the attrition-TV series of 'The Apprentice' is one way to get a job in the Irish motor industry.

But there's a much easier way, thanks to a new, free, service from Ireland's largest motor trade publishing group, Automotive Publications. RecruitAuto.ie provides employers and job-seekers in the motor trade on both parts of the island with a forum to get the right people together with each other.

And at the moment there are 100 good jobs available to the right job-seeker.

"It is truly amazing in this economic climate that many auto industry employers complain to us that they are having great difficulty in filling vacancies in their businesses," says Padraic Deane, founder of RecruitAuto.ie. "With so many auto industry businesses having closed in the past two years and thousands of good people having been made redundant, we started this user-friendly service to assist employers and jobseekers in finding solutions to their auto trade employment requirements."

Deane adds that there are 'definite indicators' that auto industry employers throughout Ireland feel that the recession has bottomed out and they are looking to recruit and start growing their businesses again for the future. "They wish to increase turnover and improve services to customer, and this requires restoring some of positions that had been lost in the decline."

The jobs are in a wide variety of areas, including Workshop, Sales & Marketing, After Sales/Service, Parts, Business Management, Bodyshop, Tyre Trade, Windscreen Repair, Administration/Reception, Motor Factor, Valet/Car Wash and Vehicle Recovery.