Jobs are up for grabs at Amazon

SEVERAL hundred jobs are still available at Amazon’s giant distribution centre in Coventry, as the facility gears-up for its opening in just a few weeks.

Coventry Jobcentre Plus, which has been helping Amazon recruit locally, said between 600 and 800 roles are yet to be filled. Amazon has also revealed when the new ‘fulfilment centre’ facility will open and said it will see a phased opening over a number of weeks.

Amazon has built a huge warehouse the size of eight football pitches on the site on the site of the former Jaguar Browns Lane factory.

It started recruiting for people the new distribution centre in autumn last

Initially it was looking to fill senior management and other specialist roles at the new facility.

Among the jobs originally up for grabs were several in human resources and training as well as IT.

The retailer pledged to recruit more than 1,650 permanent jobs at the site.

It has now emerged that as many as 2,000 jobs could be created at the Coventry centre. The 40,000 sq metre facility in Coundon Wedge Drive was given the green light by Coventry City Council’s planning committee in November 2016.

As management roles got filled the emphasis switched to more general roles at the new facility with local people being targeted by Amazon via Coventry Jobcentre Plus.

On a special Coventry jobs page, Amazon said: “Coventry is the next location for one of our brand new Fulfilment Centres.

“As the latest addition to our regional network in the Midlands, we’re excited to be adding more than 1,650 new, permanent jobs to help us meet growing customer demand.”

A spokesman for Amazon said the new Coventry fulfilment centre would be opening on July 2 but that it would be a gradual/ phased opening before the new facility was functioning fully.

The spokesman said: “We’re starting operations on July 2 though it will be a gradual, phased build-up over a number of weeks.”

Speaking about the local recruitment drive Sue Gaskill, Jobcentre leader at the Coventry Jobcentre Plus in Cofa Court, said: “Coventry Jobcentre has been working with Coventry City Council, Job Shop and Amazon to support their recruitment for the new warehouse, located on the old Jaguar site at Coundon Wedge in Coventry – the recruitment is ongoing

“The warehouse opens on July 2. Start dates will be staggered. Amazon have filled approximately 1,200 and there are around 600-800 jobs left.”