BMW Manufacturing announced on Aug. 9 the expansion of its scholars program to include two pre-apprenticeship categories for high school seniors and recent graduates.
The Rising Scholars program allows high school seniors to work part time at BMW while attending classes both at school and a participating Career and Technical Education Center (CATE). Fifteen area students were enrolled in the program’s inaugural class.
The students will work at BMW 15 hours a week for $12 an hour. They will be working primarily at the company’s Training and Development Center and are expected to start later this month.
BMW Manufacturing President and CEO Knudt Flor said the new scholarship track is part of the company’s efforts to develop the workforce of the future.
“You were selected because we think you are excellent,” Flor told the students at a ceremony in the BMW Zentrum. “If you want to invest [in the future], the best investment you can make is in people.”
The BMW Fast Track program will target recent high school graduates or experienced individuals who already hold an associate’s degree in a technical field like automotive technology. Once hired, Fast Track participants will go through an intensive training regimen using the company’s established BMW Scholar’s curriculum.
