Outgoing Holden engineers snapped up overseas

Some of Holden's most talented Australian engineers have already taken up roles within General Motors postings in Europe and the US, as the car maker's local workforce shrinks ahead of its 2017 manufacturing closure.

In a separate development, up to 150 Holden workers look set to secure new roles at cross-town rival Ford, which will grow its engineering workforce to 1200 by 2016.

Fairfax Media can reveal as many as 50 engineers and tradesmen set to lose their jobs have already been offered lifelines at other General Motors postings internationally. It is likely that that more will take up overseas tenures as Holden goes about slashing 600 local engineering jobs by the end of 2015 – the first 200 of which took place last month.

Holden executive director of engineering Brett Vivian said the transition would see Australian engineers design and develop some of the world's most successful mass produced vehicles.

"We've got 31 people that are already there or have signed agreements to go there in a couple of months, plus another handful that are still thinking about it," he said. "If they want to do it, they'll be offered the opportunity."

Holden will cease production of its locally-produced Cruze and Commodore in 2017 and move to an import-only basis thereafter. Toyota and Ford have also signalled their intentions to discontinue manufacturing in Australia.

The VF Commodore, which has so far enjoyed consistently strong sales since it was launched mid-2013, will be updated for the final time in October 2015. The Cruze, meanwhile, is due for one last facelift before manufacturing is ceased.

"I've still got a big team next year, just under 300," Vivian said. "They're not all engineers, there are tradespeople and operators as well working between vehicles and powertrain.

"We've got to keep the local production going, so they will be working on the Cruze and Commodore. The powertrain team is still working on global projects in powertrain calibration."

Vivian said Holden would continue to have an engineering presence in Australia, while also retaining its local tuning and calibration capability.

Ford, meanwhile, intends to swoop on as many as 150 outgoing Holden engineers as it goes about building up its workforce for an international design centre based in Victoria. The centre will be ramped up once the car maker shutters it Broadmeadows production plant for the final time in October, 2016, and will be responsible for new global products.

Ford's Asia Pacific engineering boss Trevor Worthington said Australian engineers were globally considered among the best in the world.

"There's a desire for engineering teams and design teams that can deliver an outcome and over the last 14 years, every program that Ford Australia has done was delivered on time, on cost and on quality," he said.

"Australians have an open-mindedness that perfectly prepareS engineers and designers for developing global vehicles. That's what I feel – their willingness to work in tough environment and resolve problems is just amazing, and the global industry is very aware of that."

The Ford engineering centre has already been responsible for globally-produced vehicles such as the Ranger ute, Escort sedan and Figo small car.