On 18 September, a new vocational training programme was launched in Debrecen which can provide the basis for an entire career. In the framework of the Bavarian premium manufacturer’s dual vocational training programme, a total of 100 students from the three technical schools of the Vocational Training Centre of Debrecen will master four vocations.
In 2025, the BMW Group’s comprehensive automotive factory will start production in Debrecen. The company’s dual vocational training programme, launched in partnership with the Company Debrecen Vocational Training Centre of Debrecen (DSzC) and based on international experience, offers the opportunity to acquire the skills to build a career at the Debrecen plant of the world’s leading manufacturer of
automobiles and motorcycles.
“The BMW Group launched its first dual apprenticeship programme 100 years ago, which means that the training that started in Debrecen this year relies on invaluable experience. It is complemented by the local training team’s commitment to equip prospective associates with the knowledge and skills valuable on the labour market,” said Hans-Peter Kemser, President and CEO of BMW Group Plant
Debrecen.
During their three-year training, students will also learn about state-of-the-art technical tools and solutions, including robotics, 3D printing, virtual and augmented reality solutions. The development of soft skills will also be an important part of the training. These will include communication and presentation techniques, as well as project management skills and even health awareness.
The opening of the school year on 18 September was attended by the entire first year of the vocational training programme, i.e. one hundred students, who will be able to prepare for their studies in a three-day camp organised by the BMW Group to facilitate the start of the school year and making of the first contacts.
The one hundred students were admitted to the programme following a selection process in the spring, and the popularity of the program is reflected in the fact that there were more than twice as many applicants as places even on this first occasion. The selection days, which took place in early March, followed a precisely designed schedule. During the seven-day process, first the problem-solving and logical skills of the applicants were assessed, through a variety of tasks, by the training team of BMW Group Plant Debrecen. In the second step, students were tested for their manual skills and professional knowledge when they had to assemble a functioning piece of equipment through a series of tasks that varied from vocation to vocation. In the third and final round, the focus was on getting to know the students’ personalities in a more informal setting, through personal interviews.
BMW Group Plant Debrecen is very popular not only as a company offering vocational training programmes, but also as an employer. The number of employees at the new factory – including those taking part in the dual training programme – has more than quadrupled in the last six months, and the company now employs more than 900 people. The already very intense recruitment activity is expected to gather
even more momentum in the coming months. The list of open positions is constantly updated, and the application form is available at https://www.bmwgroup.jobs/hu/en.html.
The BMW Group is building a comprehensive vehicle factory in Debrecen with a press shop, body work, paint shop, vehicle assembly, as well as a unique battery module plant, which will allow the in-house assembly of the battery cells necessary for the electric drive. Located on an area of more than 400 hectares in the north-western part of Debrecen, the plant will be the first unit within the Group to be developed entirely along the iFACTORY concept from the initial design phase, in the spirit of lean, green and digital manufacturing. According to the plans, BMW Group Plant Debrecen will start production in 2025 with more than 1,500 employees, and that will be the year also when the first model of the all-electric NEUE KLASSE, which will debut in Debrecen, will roll off the production line.
