Interested in the finer operation of BMWs or keen to hit the open road in a 24-wheeler from DaimlerChrysler? The local divisions of the German manufacturers have recently announced respective apprenticeship and professional driver learnership programmes.
Interested in the finer operation of BMWs or keen to hit the open road in a 24-wheeler from DaimlerChrysler? The local divisions of the German manufacturers have recently announced respective apprenticeship and professional driver learnership programmes.
To many, any excuse to get under the bonnet or behind the wheel of a BMW is a good one and the German marque itself has come up with the most suitable reason yet. BMW South Africa will be showcasing its BMW Apprentice Programme, along with career opportunities within the BMW dealer network, via a nationwide road show set to kick of on 11 October at the BMW Pavilion in Cape Town.
BMW manager of technical training Lochner Dicker will brief technical students from the Western Cape area, including those from previously disadvantaged areas, and a range of BMW vehicles will be on display. Learners will be encouraged to familiarise themselves with the products while staff from BMW’s dealer network will be on hand to field any questions.
Entry into the BMW Apprentice Programme requires science and maths at Matric level, with an interest in technology and IT. The programme encompasses both theory and practical components at each of its four levels, and the programme duration ranges from two-and-a-half to four years, depending on each participant’s progress.
Riekie van Burick, BMW SA’s manager of people development stated that “the BMW Apprentice Programme fully covers South African Merseta (the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority) requirements. Apart from meeting the generic government requirement for apprentices, each candidate will also undergo mentoring and coaching during the programme to gain BMW specific experience during the training phase of pre-employment”.
Van Burick emphasised that the establishment of this programme is BMW’s response to the pronounced shortage of technical skills in this country and hopes that it will fill “the gap between what the industry needs and what is being supplied in terms of technical skill…”
Apprentices who successfully complete the programme will be equipped to work as BMW Certified Technicians with the opportunity to gain employment within the BMW dealer network.
Similarly, DaimlerChrysler SA has also put its weight behind a learnership programme that has received approval from both the MERSETA and the Minister of Transport.
The manufacturer’s professional driver learnership programme is aimed at creating job opportunities for unemployed and lesser skilled commercial vehicle drivers. The R6,5-million programme is funded by Merseta, and it is expected that 100 qualified drivers will be trained within 12 months.
DCSA will provide the main source of employment, with a number of “host employers” providing support. Vehicle Delivery Services and Supergroup will host the initial group, whose training will be managed by the DaimlerChrysler Dealer Training Department.
“Our interest is to alleviate the shortage of skilled commercial vehicle drivers for all sectors, especially for auto carriers where we naturally have a keen interest. Road transport infrastructure will benefit in quicker turnaround times, a reduction in insurance claims, lower fuel consumption, reduced maintenance costs and reduced downtime of vital commercial transportation, whether short or long haul,” said Dr Hansgeorg Niefer, chairman of the board of management of DaimlerChrysler South Africa.
Selected learners will be able to gain both theoretical (30 per cent) and practical (70 per cent) experience before they qualify in the contractual period. The first qualification attained on the programme is a Code 14 licence and a Professional Driver’s Permit (PDP), allowing the drivers to be productive after just eight weeks.