As its business grows and with another new model on the horizon Vauxhall has confirmed that it will take on 550 new employees at its manufacturing sites in Ellesmere Port and Luton, the first significant new-hire programme for a decade.

Around 300 new jobs will be secured at the Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire.  The plant currently operates on two shifts but as sales volumes build more employees are required to cope with increased output at the facility.

The new jobs will be phased in over the first quarter of 2015, ahead of the start of production of the next generation Astra towards the end of 2015.

Vauxhall’s Luton plant will add a second shift in January 2015, creating around 250 new jobs. The Luton facility builds the recently launched all-new Vivaro van and will be taking on these new employees to increase output next year.

“This is great news for Vauxhall and for British manufacturing,” said Tim Tozer, Vauxhall’s chairman and managing director.

“Both of our UK manufacturing plants have won long contracts with all-new product and as the business strengthens, we now need to take on more people to build these exciting new Vauxhalls.”