Auto-repair training for Koreans from Germany

In an effort to lower youth unemployment and nurture technical expertise, the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) is introducing German vocational training with German automakers BMW Group Korea and Mercedes-Benz Korea.

The Ministry of Education, KGCCI, and the two automakers signed a memorandum of understanding to support the launch of the so-called Ausbildung program, an on-the-job training system in Germany, at the Hilton Millennium Seoul hotel near Seoul Station on Monday.

“Despite fine academic backgrounds and high specs, new recruits to the company are incapable of starting work on their first day and companies need to retrain them,” said Kim Hyo-joon, CEO of BMW Group Korea. “Ausbildung offers practical training for young talents so they can be put to work right away.”

The program targets high school students already training to become automotive specialists.

The program will start in September with 90 students. Recruitment starts in March. In the three-year program, 30 percent of the time will be spent on theoretical education at vocational schools while 70 percent will be practical training at companies such as dealerships of the two German automakers.

Students who complete training will obtain associate degrees from partner colleges and certification by partner companies. As the KGCCI obtained accreditation for the program to be valid in Germany, students can make use of the certification in overseas job markets.

Partnering colleges are Doowon Technical University and Yeoju Institue of Technology.

After training, all of the graduates will be offered jobs at dealerships of the two auto companies. To support the talent nurturing program, the two companies will invest 10 billion won ($8.7 million) by 2022.

BY KIM JEE-HEE [kim.jeehee@joongang.co.kr]