BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosi inaugurates Training Center

Munich/San Luis Potosi. Today the BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosi has inaugurated the plant´s Training Center. With the official opening of the new building the Automaker sets the next major milestone during the ramp up phase of the plant that will start production in 2019. Guests attending the official ceremony included Dr. Juan Manuel Carreras López, Governor of the state of San Luis Potosí; Milagros Caiña-Andree, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Human Resources and Labour Relations, Dr. Enrique Cabrero, Director General of CONACYT, Gustavo Puente Orozco, Secretario de Desarrollo Económico, Dr. José Luis Morán, Director General of COPOCYT, Manuel Lozano Nieto, Secretario de Trabajo y Previsión Social and Emilio Ramírez Guerrero, Secretario Nacional del Sindicato CTM.

The BMW Group invested nine Million US dollar into the 6,000 sq. m. facility. The new Training Center contains eleven workshops for qualification programs not only for associates but also for apprentices from the three educational institutions that participate in the Dual Program.

State of the art technology and latest innovations for skilled workforce

“Qualification is the key to success”, said Milagros Caiña-Andree, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources and Labor Relations. “It is great to see that what we have started two years ago with the first generation of apprentices in the temporary training center has developed so well. For the BMW Group, our skilled workforce is the foundation to achieve the highest quality of our premium products. With our new Training Center we provide the appropriate infrastructure to train our people on a state of the art level. Being one of the most attractive employers in the region we see it as a privilege to be able to engage and to inspire young people with the development of their talents.”

The Governor of State San Luis Potosí Juan Manuel Carreras López commented: “We are more than delighted that the BMW Group decided to build their plant here in San Luis Potosí. With the opening of the Training Center we have a new facility in SLP that will boost local talent. A project of this dimension not only contributes to leverage the economic level of the region, it also creates employment opportunities and improves the educational level. Congratulations to the BMW Group Plant SLP for the accomplishment of this important milestone on the way to start of production in 2019.”

Hermann Bohrer, President and CEO of BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosi, said: “This Training Center is the place where science and practice will be put together to have a highly motivated workforce for the most modern technology and the latest innovations of the Production Network.”

Each space of the Training Center is designed to maximize the employees’ performance and to increase their level of enthusiasm and team spirit. From the 1,500 associates with whom the plant will start operations, all will have gone through the qualification programs given at that the Training Center including the workshops of Production Technology, Automotive Technology, Electricity and Electronics, Pneumatics and Hydraulics, Metal Mechanics, Robotics, PLC (Programmable Logic Controls), Paint Shop and IT. Additionally, the Training Center incorporates a space for skills evaluation, an area to become an expert on lean manufacturing, a leadership room and it incorporates rooms for several courses and non-technical trainings.

Qualification Program is based on four pillars

The BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosi has set its educational strategy on four pillars to actively support the qualification programs that besides functioning to have well-trained employees, encourage a continuous career development. This scheme consists of Vocational Training in which students apply their knowledge gained at their schools and get immersed with the experience of working in a real environment of the BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosi.

The Occupational Training consists of a personalized development plan, designed to improve the competencies for each of the positions at the BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosi. All employees take part according to their work areas along with a personal plan to nurture their proficiencies individually.

The qualification provided at the Ramp-Up Center is focused on technology topics and the actual launch of a new model. The reproduction of the production center in a 5,000 sq. m. prepares associates in processes such as Body, Paint Shop, Assembly, Analysis, Logistics and IT. This building was designed with the purpose of preparing future employees who will be part of the productive processes, and to train them with the tools that will monitor the quality of each procedure at the BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosi.

The BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosi makes best use of the experience from other plants worldwide and maximizes the preparation with a program of Qualification in the Global Production Network. The sites in Germany, the United States and China support the plant in Mexico by providing training for employees during the phase of equipment and start of operations. By the time the plant in Mexico starts producing the first BMW 3 Series for the world market, more than 700 associates will have gone to one or more international assignments.

The strong educational strategy of the BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosi encourages competitiveness, stimulates the professional level of local talent, and places this region at a preponderant position among the global automotive industry. The Training Center is where employees will become experts, and it is the first step in the nonstop journey of the qualification processes of the most innovative, technological and sustainable plant of the BMW Group Production Network.

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Corporate Communications

Jochen Frey, Business and Finance Communications, jochen.frey@bmw.de

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The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, 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 31 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and 145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately € 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16 billion. As of 31 December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 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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