A number of vacancies for up to 80 engineers - in divisions such as mechanical, electrical design, development and engine design - have arisen as part of a recruitment drive by JCB.

Graduate and undergraduate engineers, as well as technicians and apprentices, are also being sought by the company, which intends to take advantage of global markets' return to growth.

Alan Blake, JCB's chief executive, said 2011 has begun very strongly and there are signs that this will continue throughout the next 12 months.

"We need to respond to that growth and strengthen our excellent team of engineers with new talent as demand for our machines increases and as we develop a range of exciting new products," he remarked.

Jobseekers may also be buoyed by results from KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's latest report on jobs, which indicated that a rise was seen in placements in the IT and engineering sectors in January, with permanent positions climbing at the fastest rate for six months across all markets.

Posted by Kate Griffin