On the 29th, BMW Group Korea held a joint graduation ceremony for the 19th Apprentice Program and the inauguration of the 20th class along with the 7th batch of the BMW Ausbildung program at the Nest Hotel in Yeongjongdo, Incheon.
The BMW Apprentice Program and Ausbildung are representative automotive professional training programs operated by BMW Group Korea. The ceremony was attended by a total of 280 participants, including Team Leader Kim Yeon-tae of the BMW Group Korea Training Academy, the Head of After Sales from BMW’s official dealerships, graduates of the 19th Apprentice Program, new recruits for the 20th, and participants of the 7th Ausbildung program.
The event began with a speech by Team Leader Kim Yeon-tae, followed by the graduation ceremony for the Apprentice Program, the inauguration for the new classes of both programs, and orientation brand training. In his speech, Team Leader Kim stated, “The talents nurtured through the Apprentice and Ausbildung programs are contributing to the automotive industry as key personnel in BMW After Sales with high productivity and expertise,” and added, “I look forward to and support the future successes of the trainees present here today.”
Launched in 2004 and celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the BMW Apprentice Program is a leading industry-academic cooperation initiative supported by BMW Group Korea to train specialized technical personnel in the automotive field. It provides selected outstanding students from universities with technical training and scholarships, supporting their employment at BMW’s official dealerships after graduation. Since starting agreements with 8 universities in 2004, BMW Group Korea now collaborates with 36 universities.
Furthermore, ‘Ausbildung’ is a dual vocational education program from Germany that integrates work and study, recognized as one of the secrets to Germany’s success as an industrial powerhouse. BMW Group Korea introduced Ausbildung in 2017 as the first in the domestic automotive industry, aiming to provide quality educational environments and stable jobs for Korean youths aspiring to be future talent in the automotive sector, fostering them into excellent specialized technical personnel.
Participants in the BMW Ausbildung will enter formal training work contracts with BMW’s seven official dealerships during the program, receiving stable salaries and work environments. After completing the courses, they obtain a specialized associate degree and can gain employment at the company where they trained while also receiving an educational certification from the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with the qualification of a BMW Junior Technician.
Thanks to BMW Group Korea’s commitment to nurturing future talents in the automotive industry and close cooperation with academic institutions, a total of 2,083 trainees have been officially employed by BMW’s seven official dealerships, including 1,673 graduates from the Apprentice Program and 410 graduates from the Ausbildung program to date.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr