ENG: BMW lures tomorrow's

[Administrator]

BMW LURES TOMORROW'S TECHNICIANS WITH A LOOK AT TODAY'S CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY

10/20/2004

 

Hundreds of High School Students from Throughout the South to Visit BMW Facilities During Week-Long "Teens and Wheels: Education -- BMW Style"

Spartanburg, SC - October 20, 2004... More than 500 high school juniors and seniors from five southern states will get a first-hand look at how BMWs are made and maintained as they tour BMW's facilities here this week. The visits are designed to introduce the automotive trade school students to the BMW brand, and describe the many rewarding career opportunities within the company and its dealer network.

 

BMW's "Teens and Wheels: Education BMW Style" has been developed in conjunction with Automotive Youth Education Services (AYES), an organization of automakers and dealers who work with secondary schools to encourage young people to consider careers in retail automotive service, and prepare them for entry-level career positions or advanced studies in automotive technology. One of the organization's major challenges is changing mindsets among parents, students and teachers about automotive services careers.

 

"This can be a financially rewarding and mentally stimulating career," said Dan Lyon, Field Service Engineer for BMW's Southern Region of today's automotive service professionals. "Technicians must have extensive training and strong computer skills to diagnose and repair today's sophisticated automobiles."

 

While the shortage of qualified automotive service technicians is a nationwide industry problem, it is especially acute for BMW in the south. Strong growth in BMW sales in the region has resulted in an increased need for qualified technicians to service all those vehicles. The company estimates the need for an additional 1,500 new technicians at regional dealerships over the next few years. Nationally, there are about 60,000 automotive technician jobs unfilled, and the Department of Labor projects another 35,000 new jobs annually through 2010.

 

Students from 13 AYES-certified schools in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida are being hosted by BMW. All have had some coursework - and some have had actual hands-on experience - in the automotive services trade. At BMW Manufacturing Co.'s plant, they will see BMW Z4 and X5 models being assembled. After lunch, they will go to the BMW Performance Center for a look "under the hood" of a BMW and a demonstration of the vehicles' high performance capabilities.

 

"BMW products are among the most technologically advanced vehicles on the market," noted Lyon. "We hope that when the kids see what goes into these vehicles, it will interest them in pursuing a career with BMW."

 

In addition to "wowing" the students, BMW hopes to build lasting relationships with school instructors, guidance counselors and AYES state coordinators. "We want to let them all see that BMW is an exciting place to work, and has incredible career opportunities," Lyon said.

 

BMW Group In America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and the ROLLS-ROYCE brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 Roadster and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 340 BMW passenger car centers, 327 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 148 BMW motorcycle retailers, 76 MINI passenger car dealers, and 25 ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is

located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

 

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:

 

www.bmwusa.com

www.bmwmotorradusa.com

www.miniusa.com

www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com