THE region has been thrown into the spotlight as production on the third generation Qashqai has officially started at Nissan Sunderland.
The car manufacturer today revealed that its 'new generation Qashqai' had entered production at the enormous plant in the region.
The plant, which is celebrating 35 years of manufacturing cars in the UK, has seen £400m pumped into it to get it ready for the latest crossover.
It comes as the manufacturer has also pledged to offer every North East child a place on a course which could lead to employment in manufacturing.
On Tuesday morning as work on the new car began, Nissan revealed what the major operation looked like on its very first day.
The Qashqai, which is made for the UK market in Sunderland, was originally launched as a family crossover back in 2007.
Since then, it has gone on to become the fastest UK car to reach one million units built - with Nissan saying more than 3.5 million have been built in Sunderland alone.
Meanwhile, it has said one in every five cars on Britain's road is a Qashqai, giving it the title of 'highest-volume' car made in Britain.
Ahead of today's launch, the team in Sunderland have had to go through thousands of hours of training, with an additional 24,000 trained in supply chain across the UK.
Alan Johnson, Nissan Vice President for Manufacturing in the UK,said: “Sunderland Plant is built on 35 years of manufacturing excellence, andfrom the skills and expertise of our world-class team comes a car for the future.
“More than 3.5 million customers have chosen a Qashqai made in Sunderland since it went on sale in 2007, and the third generation model delivers the new levels of technology, design and performance that people have come to expect from the original crossover.
“We know it has been a tough year for young people, so we’re using the launch of this next-generation car to step up our efforts to inspire the next-generation of manufacturing talent.
"We want every child in the North East of England to have the opportunity to be inspired by the Nissan Skills Foundation.”
Mr Johnson added: “Qashqai is a huge part of not just the heritage of our plant, but of the entire UK car industry. It pioneered the crossover segment, and each new model has increased its popularity with our customers.
“I am confident that the third generation, made with pride by the team here in Sunderland, will continue that success story.”
The Nissan Skills Foundation was founded in 2014 and the manufacturer says it is geared towards encouraging young people to take up careers in manufacturing.
It has since grown to include ten bespoke activities for children aged seven to 18, as well as providing resources for regional schools to take part in international STEM competitions.
To date more than 65,000 young people from across the region have taken part in a Nissan Skills Foundation event.
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