BMW
The Bayerische Motoren Werke traces its history back to 1916 and now conducts automotive production in 22 sites across fourteen countries. Their presence in the West Midlands is concentrated at the Hams Hall plant near Coleshill. The site, employing 750 personnel, is the sole supplier to the BMW group of the four-cylinder Valvetronic engine. This, combined with the fact that many of its suppliers are also German means that effective international communications are vital to operations.
Although many senior positions are filled by bilingual German expatriates or managers specifically recruited for their language skills, BMW relies primarily upon its internal training programme to cultivate languages skills.
Employees are assessed and their training needs identified before they start learning at one of the programme’s six levels – ranging from absolute novice to business proficiency. Each level demands approximately 100 hours of instruction plus homework - and only after a proficiency test can employees progress to the next level.
Although the programme is in its infancy at Hams Hall, BMW is committed to being a global player and recognises that language skills and intercultural sensitivity are key factors in keeping it there, as Annette Mayerbacher, initiator of the training programme explains:
“English alone can get you through on a leisure trip, but communication is a completely different proposition in a business environment. Our team at Hams Hall must learn to work in the language of their customers.”
BMW champions languages in schools
In 2008, BMW became involved in the Business Language Champions programme to help increase the uptake of languages in local schools. On 22 January nineteen Year 9 students from the Coleshill School toured the Hams Hall engine plant and took part in language based activities and discussions.
Download the press release (pdf 79 KB) 
Further information
For more information about BMW in the West Midlands visit www.bmw-plant-hamshall.co.uk
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