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Initiative Program Provides Opportunities while Addressing Industry Need
for Skilled Service Technicians
Woodcliff Lake, NJ - January 4, 2006... In the first such partnership in the industry, BMW of North America, LLC has teamed up with The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation to reach out to Latinos in the Miami area interested in pursuing a career in automotive technical service. Modeled after BMW's successful Service Technician Education Program (STEP), MetroSTEP aims to encourage more Latinos to pursue careers in automotive services and addresses the industry shortage of skilled auto technicians. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 35,000 new technicians will be needed nationwide each year through 2010.
Successfully launched in Atlanta's African-American community a few years ago, MetroSTEP has moved further south to Miami, Florida, where the focus is on the Latino community. Working closely with the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, BMW of North America has launched a pilot program with 10 Latino students from area technical schools to enroll in the 20-week program, which includes both classroom and hands-on training.
Tom Purves, Chairman and CEO of BMW of North America, LLC, recognizes the importance of such initiatives to the future of the automotive industry. "BMW is thrilled to expand the MetroSTEP program to Miami," said Purves, who is also chairman of Automotive Youth Education Systems (AYES). "We were able to reach a pool of future BMW technicians who will not only help to alleviate the problem of technician shortage, but contribute the skill of being bilingual, a valuable asset to our business, particularly in cities such as Miami."
By testing the students in Spanish, the BMW program eliminates one primary barrier of entry to new career opportunities for many Latinos - that of language. When tested in their language of comfort, they are more readily able to demonstrate the skills they have acquired.
The students selected for the Miami MetroSTEP program range in age from 20 to 43 years of age. Some have previous automotive service training, and others do not, but according to BMW aftersales manager for the southern region, Russ Lucas they all have one thing in common- a strong desire to succeed.
The BMW MetroSTEP curriculum includes twenty weeks of intensive instruction that alternates between classroom sessions and dealer in-service at two-week intervals. The students are paid throughout the training program and are guaranteed a full-time job in one of the participating BMW dealerships when they graduate. Braman Motorcars in West Palm Beach; Vista Motor Company in Coconut Creek; Lauderdale Imports, Ltd. in Fort Lauderdale; Lauderdale Imports, Ltd. in Pembroke Pines and South Motors BMW in Miami are the participating dealers.
Extensive education is provided by BMW instructors, and students are paired with mentors. BMW Master Technicians serve as an additional resource for students who have questions or need help with anything from curriculum to adjusting to the fast-paced BMW culture. Students learn what would be considered basics like oil changes and tire rotations as well as the more technical aspects of diagnosing a car.
"A program like Miami MetroSTEP is not only teaching these students how to diagnose and repair cars, but ultimately gives them a choice for a fulfilling career they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to explore," said Frank Lopez, President of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation. "This model program recognizes the importance and benefits of diversifying the recruiting process in the auto service industry. BMW is smartly investing in a community that is expected to grow exponentially over the next several years and will be a driving force behind the country's economic growth."
BMW established STEP nine years ago to address the shortage of automotive service technicians. As a scholarship-based program for graduates of post-secondary technical schools, students are afforded an unsurpassed technical education and career opportunity. Since its inception, more than 2,000 technicians have completed the intensive training program and have been placed in rewarding and satisfying careers. While STEP graduates with some experience earn an average annual salary of $55,000, with further accreditation they can earn up to six figures in major markets.
Working in conjunction with the Automotive Youth Education Systems (AYES) - a partnership of auto manufacturers, dealers and qualified high schools offering automotive technical training - BMW aims to provide more career awareness to students still studying at the secondary level with the objective of highlighting the automotive repair industry as an attractive career option. At the post-secondary level, BMW has donated cars, car parts, computers and other equipment to schools to familiarize students with state-of-the-art BMW technology. Plans are to do the same for approved high school automotive programs.
About the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation:
The USHCC Foundation is committed to the purpose of giving Latino entrepreneurs alternatives for life preparation and life-long learning by developing and implementing initiatives and educational campaigns to awaken and nurture their entrepreneurial spirit. The foundation leverages corporate and public support to ensure that existing and aspiring Latino entrepreneurs gain access and achieve success in the world of business.
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, 80 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.
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