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| Hans-Herbert Jagla | |
Pamela Glant of Chattanooga says she sought a production job with Volkswagen's local auto assembly plant to improve her standard of living.
"I think I could do the work and I'd like to be tested," she said.
Ms. Glant is one of 35,000 people who applied for the 1,200 production jobs over the past three weeks, the company said Monday.
About 30,000 others have applied for the 800 professional and skilled maintenance slots so far, according to VW.
"We are overwhelmed by the response and we are very satisfied with the result," said Hans-Herbert Jagla, executive vice president of human resources for VW's Chattanooga operations. "It gives us the confidence that we will be able to hire all the capable and flexible people we need to build our cars safely and with the highest quality."
Late Sunday, VW closed a three-week application window for the production jobs. The plant is slated to start making cars in early 2011 and employ 2,000 people.
Ryan Rose, VW's general manager of human resources in Chattanooga, said the next step for the production jobs is an assessment process.
"We ask all applicants to be patient, as we begin the hiring for the first positions in spring 2010 and will continue into 2011," he said.
Applicants will be scheduled for an individual assessment, according to VW. This includes computer and behavioral testing as well as production simulation at a location near the Enterprise South industrial park plant site, VW officials said.
Staff Photo by Patrick Smith
Workers continue construction on the training center at Volkswagen's auto assembly plant at Enterprise South on Wednesday. Volkswagen plans to be operating the plant by 2011.
Then, Mr. Jagla said, there will be an interview, medical tests and a job offer.
"We need to build a hiring pool," he said.
Production workers will start at $14.50 per hour, growing to $19.50 per hour over three years, officials said. The company offers a comprehensive benefits package, they said.
Mr. Jagla said first priority for hiring will be given to Chattanooga and Hamilton County residents.
Mr. Rose said a kind of lottery process will be used to determine the application evaluation sequence.
"Everyone who applies and meets the minimum qualifications will be given an equal chance," Mr. Rose said.
VW has hired over 220 people so far for non-production jobs.
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65,000 applicants for 2,000 jobs. This should tell our government to eliminate free trade agreements and bring back our jobs from overseas. They won't do it though. Maybe next election time we should let the politicians know what it's like to be unemployed.
Amazingly, only about 500 were truly worthy of being hired.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if VW kept a right-to-work policy [i.e., no closed or union-only jobs]?
Let the unions in and these 1,200 jobs will go to Mexico etc, too. Keep that in mind, future VW employees and vote "NO" on unionizing...unless you LIKE being unemployed.
Thirty five years ago Akron, Ohio was the rubber capital of the world with over 80,000 rubber manufacturing jobs. Today, thanks to the United Rubber Workers, there are less than 500 of those jobs left. The jobs went to the non-union Southern states. Once these states unionized those jobs went out of the country. First to Mexico then overseas. I agree with rolando. Keep your jobs by voting "NO" to unions.
I wonder how many of the 65,000 applied, knowing they had no chance of being selected, merely to keep the extended unemployment benefits rolling?
rolando, wizard,
100% agree, the only things unions are better at than destroying the competitiveness of companies, is killing jobs.
Wow, it appears we've got at least 2 geniuses leaving comments. And they can even see the future! I'm so sorry for wanting to make a better life for my family and me by getting better pay and benefits in a union job. And yes, we know Tennessee is a Right to Work (for less) state, thank you.
TJ - It's too bad you greedy union people couldn't see the future. Maybe a lot of you would still have jobs.