Jaguar Land Rover to employ 1,000 ex-military servicemen by 2020

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is to provide new opportunities for ex-military personnel who served in the British Armed Forces, announcing plans to employ 1,000 new staff by 2020. The British automotive company, which is a subsidiary of India's Tata motors, currently employs 25,000 people in the UK, of whom 200 are already counted as ex-servicemen.

The announcement coincided with the start of Prince Harry's 2016 Invictus Games in Florida, US, an international sporting event for war veterans who are either wounded, injured or have fallen sick, with JLR providing major sponsorship of the event.

A JLR spokesman said: "It is fitting that this announcement comes ahead of the Invictus Games, an inspirational event that demonstrates the resilience and dedication of those in the armed forces. I am immeasurably proud that through our company, and the Jaguar Land Rover Learning Academy, we have been able to give hundreds of ex-service personnel the opportunity to rebuild their lives and careers," according to the Mirror.

"As the UK's largest automotive manufacturer and a growing global business, we have an obligation to advance the skills and capability of the industry, and in doing so, provide opportunities for passionate people to unleash their full potential," the spokesperson added. "That is why we are making it our mission to see the number of people recruited into our business from the military increase significantly in the coming years."

The move comes at a time when the Coventry-based company celebrates its best ever April sales, counting 41,341 vehicles sold, a total rise of 11% in comparison to the same month in 2015, according to This is Money.

April 2016 is also the fourth consecutive month of record-breaking sales for the company, during which it has sold a total of 200,154 vehicles across the first year quarter, a 24% increase when compared to the same four month period in 2015.