Tenth anniversary of BMW Group Training Academy in Unterschleißheim

Munich. The BMW Group Training Academy in Unterschleißheim (Germany) normally celebrated its tenth anniversary on Wednesday. Dr. Herbert Grebenc, head of Real Estate, Facility Management and Corporate Security at BMW Group, and Joachim Geißler, head of Qualification and Retail HR at the BMW Group Training Academy, welcomed the guests. Christoph Böck, Mayor of Unterschleißheim, also attended the ceremony. The BMW Group Training Academy in Unterschleißheim sets global standards for all the company’s retail-related training centres. It is also the starting point for »Future Retail HR«, the BMW Group’s global sales programme for human resource management for retail staff.

Faced with model ramp-ups, new workshop systems and expanded customer contact options, car dealerships and their staff must stay up-to-date at all times to be able to offer customers premium service on a day-to-day basis. Since opening on 29 July 2004, the BMW Group Training Academy in Unterschleißheim has served all the qualification needs of the BMW Group retail organisation in the technical field, as well as in management and sales.

“The modern, open architecture of the BMW Group Training Academy in Unterschleißheim ensures ideal learning conditions. All classrooms are located under one roof and all areas are visually networked for in-depth exchange,” explained Grebenc.

“The BMW Group set new global standards for training in the automotive industry with the opening of the Training Academy in Unterschleißheim in 2004. We are delighted to have BMW’s top training centre here as one of the flagships of our locally-based firms,” said the Mayor of Unterschleißheim.

Pacemaker for dealership standards

»Future Retail HR« is part of the BMW Group’s global sales programme »Future Retail«, designed to improve the customer experience and set new standards for retail in the automotive industry. It is supported and implemented from concept to international implementation by the Training Academy in Unterschleißheim. Employer branding and recruitment, measures to promote staff loyalty and satisfaction surveys are all part of »Future Retail HR«. Corresponding training programmes are established in the retail standards of the BMW Group’s European dealer agreements. Future Retail HR services are already being used in retail organisations in Australia, Germany, France, the UK and the US, with other countries to follow.

750,000 staff trained, 25,000 days of training

Since 2004, the Training Academy in Unterschleißheim has trained around three quarters of a million BMW Group retail staff from 80 different countries and supported roughly 100 vehicle launches. 25,000 days of training have been held, with an average of 1,000 events per year in the technical field. Training focuses on combining learning with experience. In technical courses, the practical portion accounts for 80%, while interactive online formats are also used to teach theory. The BMW Group Training Academy in Unterschleißheim employs a staff of almost 200. Field staff, trainers and coaches are required to complete corresponding certification programmes.

There are a total of 51 training centres across all continents. Regular expert meetings between the BMW Group Training Academy in Unterschleißheim and international training centres, as well as “train the trainer” events, ensure the same high level of dealer qualification worldwide.

Milestones since 2004

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 29 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2013, the BMW Group sold approximately 1.963 million cars and 115,215 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2013 was € 7.91 billion on revenues amounting to approximately € 76.06 billion. As of 31 December 2013, the BMW Group had a workforce of 110,351 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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