BMW learning for the future – with artificial intelligence and virtual reality

At the BMW Group’s Munich site, a powerful symbol is emerging: the new Talent Campus. Soon to become the company’s education centre, the Campus will provide training and professional development for some 40,000 employees in Munich – including 900 apprentices and 300 participants on young talent programmes.

The state-of-the-art building will include training spaces with the latest technologies for innovative learning, as well as workshops and a public café. It will show clearly the importance of training and lifelong learning at the BMW Group. Professional training and lifelong learning are essential for the company’s successful transition to electric, digital, circular mobility. Education is key not just to staying innovative and competitive but also for employees’ future prospects in the fast-changing world of work.

On 15 July, World Youth Skills Day, the BMW Group will be raising awareness of the many opportunities and prospects for upskilling provided by the range of entry-level training courses and continuing professional development (CPD).

Variety of entry routes

The BMW Group offers young people a wide range of employment prospects in a variety of exciting skill areas. Entry-level training includes internships, apprenticeships, student apprenticeships and young talent programmes for outstanding school, university and PhD students as well as graduates.

The training programmes focus primarily on electronics and automation, IT and e-mobility, with some 30 apprenticeship programmes and about 20 student apprenticeships in STEM subjects available worldwide. Across the globe, the BMW Group fosters about 5,200 young talents, with approx. 1,200 apprenticeship places and 140 places on young talent programmes at BMW AG in Germany alone.

There’s one thing all the programmes have in common: a focus on developing talents and nurturing personal strengths while adopting a holistic approach to education that takes into account the learners’ individual personalities.

Focus on developing talents and strengths

The BMW Group offers a host of opportunities for young people to broaden their horizons and apply their strengths. Those at German sites, for example, all take part in workshops exploring strengths, to help them identify not just their own special talents but those of their colleagues as well. They are also given positions where their skills are needed and they can continue to develop professionally.

Apprentices and student apprentices can also apply for a place on the global exchange programme MOVE, where they get to experience a practical assignment at a site in the BMW Group production network, whether in Germany or abroad. During the course of the programme, they take on two international assignments. Undergraduates and PhD students can also do an internship or orientation assignment in the global network. MOVE is an excellent opportunity for young people to develop their intercultural skills and flexibility and expand their networks across multiple sites.

Meanwhile, the Talent Factory sees apprentices and student apprentices work in interdisciplinary teams, just like they would in a startup. From their first year on the programme, they get to develop products and services themselves, to provide real solutions for real customers and nurture their creativity and innovativeness. The Talent Factory is still in its infancy and being established at all sites worldwide.

Personal talent development is also at the heart of the AcceleratiON programme for apprentices. This includes careers workshops, coaching, mentoring for personal skills development, and practical assignments in Germany and abroad. Participants in the scholarship and trainee programme can tailor their assignments, projects and insights into the various areas of the company in a wide range of ways to suit their personal interests and strengths.

Lifelong learning as part of everyday working life

Technology is developing at breakneck speed, so new knowledge and skills are essential, especially in the fields of electrics and electronics. Training in the field of high-voltage electricity is needed for new battery systems, agile working methods and digitalisation, with a focus on artificial intelligence. That’s why CPD is an established and integral part of everyday working life.

Munich’s new Talent Campus will also be home to the BMW Group Academy, when it moves in. Established as the BMW Group’s very own educational institution, the Academy offers more than 4,000 different courses, all tailored to suit the needs of the company. To keep pace with technological advances, course content is regularly updated in conjunction with the specialist departments. The BMW Group Academy also works with external training organisations to ensure the best possible instruction.

Fit for the future with Digital Boost

One practical example of instruction is Digital Boost, introduced under the umbrella of the BMW Group Academy in 2023. This CPD format is the biggest training programme in the history of the company and readying some 80,000 employees for the digital future. It encompasses a multitude of practical examples of digital applications and technologies. One focal point is the course modules on artificial intelligence. AI skills are now needed in every profession, so they are already an integral part of entry-level training at the BMW Group. Digital Boost also familiarises learners the basics of the cloud, the metaverse and data analytics. Young people at the Munich, Regensburg and Dingolfing sites can already do a module on AI in their student apprenticeships for a BSc.

Fun with innovative learning formats

To familiarise employees worldwide with a wide variety of departments, course content is tailored to suit their personal skill levels. AI applications, virtual reality simulations, avatars and animations take them on an exciting learning journey, with features such as an interactive activity based on an escape room. Virtual and augmented reality create a multi-sensory experience for particularly impactful learning, with avatars – created in minutes by AI – explaining course content in videos. This ensures knowledge is conveyed quickly and credibly – and also offers a crucial advantage: content can be imparted in any language, adapted to suit the culture and applied worldwide. In 2024, the BMW Group and BMW Group Academy jointly earned eLearning awards in three categories.

Outlook: Training and young talent programmes make Germany a more attractive business location

At the BMW Group, skills development means being part of a living, inspiring learning ecosystem. Lifelong learning – and especially the focus on subject areas of the future – is impactful in many ways: it keeps employees relevant over the longer term and contributes to their personal and professional development. The effects can also be felt beyond the confines of the company, as skills development creates future-focused jobs and ultimately makes Germany more innovative as an industrial base.