BMW Mexican trainees are very ahead of their time

Munich / San Luis Potosí. Crawler bulldozers are still rolling on the ground in San Luis Potosí. In this place, the first vehicles for the future BMW plant will be manufactured starting 2019. However, 25 mechatronic young people already begin their daily life as trainees in the state capital. As one of the first areas of the new plant, vocational training starts four years before the planned start of production with the first generation of students. Director of Personnel of BMW AG, Milagros Caiña-Andree, along with the Governor of the State of San Luis Potosí, Dr. Fernando Toranzo, inaugurated the new training center.

“Skilled workers are a decisive factor for a successful plant,” said Mrs. Caiña-Andree, member of the Board of Directors of BMW AG, during the opening ceremony. “Therefore, we are starting very early and we are transmitting key qualifications that are needed in the first place for the construction of the plant. “It is planned to increase the number of trainees and add professions such as automobile mechatronic and manufacturing mechanic in 2016”.

Dual vocational training according to the German model

Vocational training of BMW Group also follows the successful scheme of dual training in Mexico according to the German model. In collaboration with the Technological University of San Luis Potosí (UTSLP), trainees learn the theoretical foundations of their future profession. In the BMW plant, books are replaced by toolboxes and trainees are immersed in the practice. "Dual vocational training is not only in Germany but now also in the majority of the international headquarters of BMW Group, the guarantor of excellently trained personnel," explains Milagros Caiña-Andree. "Therefore, we did not hesitate for a moment to introduce this scheme also in Mexico. We found an excellent trainer partner at the Technological University of San Luis Potosí.

Vocational training at the BMW plant in San Luis Potosí lasts two years in shared responsibility together with the UTSLP. Prior to these two years, trainees have already passed one year of the studies “University Superior Technician in Efficient Electric Installations” in the UTSLP. Once this first year has passed, and once students have been elected for such education, graduates acquire technical information, improve their English language and afterwards they receive specialized education in their profession.

“For BMW Group, our employees’ education is the basis for our products’ quality, which distinguishes us in any place in the world. The training start of this first trainees group is a great time for us. With this, we give an important step towards the future of BMW Group in the State of San Luis Potosi”, said Hermann Bohrer, CEO and Managing Director of BMW San Luis Potosi.

Selection process

After completing the application process, selection process for the vocational training starts with an online exam. People who obtain good results are invited to a selection day in the plant. This day, the applicants demonstrate their qualities, among other things, in a group work and they must prepare a sample of their work. Applicants presented a brief self-presentation in English in a final interview. It is finally decided who gets a training place in BMW Group.

There will be many selected people in the next few years because starting the production in 2019 in San Luis Potosí, the most recent plant of BMW Group will employ 1,500 workers. The group invests around 1,000 million dollars in the plant. This plant will have a capacity of about 150,000 vehicles a year.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Jochen Frey, Business and Finance Communications, Human Resources

Tel: +49-89-382-41125

E-mail: jochen.frey@bmw.de

Nikolai Glies, Head of Business, Finance and Sustainability Communications

Telephone: +49 (0)89 382-25444

E-mail: nikolai.glies@bmw.de

Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com

Email: presse@bmw.de

The BMW Group

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2014, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.118 million cars and 123,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2014 was approximately € 8.71 billion on revenues amounting to € 80.40 billion. As of 31 December 2014, the BMW Group had a workforce of 116,324 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

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