BMW Group seeks young talent to join UK apprenticeship programme

- Applications for 2017 apprenticeships programme now open with 40 places across three UK manufacturing sites

- ‘Girls Go Technical’ runs this Easter to attract more young female engineers into the industry

Young people with a passion for the automotive industry are being encouraged to apply for a place on BMW Group’s apprenticeship programme in the UK.

Applications are now open for more than 40 apprenticeships in 2017 at BMW’s three UK manufacturing sites in Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall near Birmingham.

An intense selection process has been designed to attract the best candidates who will get the chance to work directly alongside skilled and experienced employees in a wide range of roles including engineering, maintenance, finance, IT, business and communications.

Places are available at MINI Plant Oxford, the heart and home of MINI production; Plant Swindon, which produces pressings and sub-assemblies for both BMW and MINI; and Plant Hams Hall which manufactures highly-efficient engines for MINI and BMW vehicles. The new recruits will join over 150 apprentices already working across these three sites.

The business recently celebrated a major manufacturing milestone in December 2016, when the three millionth MINI to be built in the UK rolled off the assembly line in Oxford. Today, around 1,000 MINIs are built each day and are exported from the UK to more than 110 markets across the world.

Jason Gaskell, Manager of Apprentice Training Programmes at BMW Group UK, said: “Apprenticeships give young people the chance to get their careers off to a flying start and are essential for us to develop the future talent needed for our business.

"We have three state-of-the-art manufacturing sites and there are some fantastic opportunities available. We want to attract the very best young and talented people to come and work for us. So, if you have a passion for working in this exciting industry, we want to hear from you.”

Depending on the programme, apprentice training leads to a Level Three Competency Qualification, while some young people will have the opportunity to progress right through to degree level in the course of their career depending on their performance.

Kelly Monaghan and Tyler Knock, both aged 18, joined the Maintenance Engineering apprenticeship programme at Plant Oxford in August 2015 after finishing their GCSEs.

“After leaving school I wasn’t certain that going to university would necessarily lead me on to a job and so I applied for an apprenticeship with BMW,” said Kelly.

“One of the things I love about it is the fact that the scheme combines a real mixture of both theory and practical which is the best way to learn I think.”

Tyler said: “I’m really happy working in what is a very hands-on role. I’ve always been interested in cars and the mechanical side of things so I knew that I wanted to work with them in some way but I just wasn’t sure how.

“I applied for the apprenticeship and it’s given me that opportunity and the chance to work with so many different people, of all different ages and experience. It means that even in a short time I feel I’ve learnt so much.”

As part of BMW Group’s commitment to attracting more young females into engineering, applications are also now open for the ‘Girls Go Technical’ programme, which will run during the Easter holiday this year.

This programme, which gives a fascinating insight into BMW Group’s three UK production sites, is aimed at females aged between 15 to 24 who are considering a technical apprenticeship in the manufacturing industry.

Apprenticeships last between three and four years and cover a wide range of areas to help equip young people with the skills needed for a successful career in the automotive sector.

Technical apprentices who undertake placements at Oxford will attend MINI Plant Oxford’s bespoke training school featuring modern classrooms, dedicated computer study areas and a fully-equipped workshop.

Further information

Applicants will need five GCSEs at Grade C or above, including Maths and English at Grade 6 or above. For engineering, business and IT apprenticeships applicants will also need two A-Levels at Grade C or above, or a BTEC Level 3 (Engineering).

To find out more about the scheme and for full entry requirements visit the following links:
https://bmwgroup.jobs/en_gb/home#vacancies
www.facebook.com/bmwcareersuk www.bmwbrochures.co.uk/bmwapprenticeships

Entry is open from 10th January and the closing date for applications is 13th March 2017. Apprenticeships start in August 2017.

The closing date for applications for Girls Go Technical is 27th February 2017.

More information is available via this link: https://bmwgroup.jobs/en_gb/job?ref=160004K3&default=true

The programme runs from Monday 10th April to Thursday 13th April 2017.