BMW South Africa invests up to 10% of the company's total annual payroll on various training and development initiatives encompassing technical, managerial and specialist training as well as providing assistance for "higher education".

The upgrade of manufacturing facilities at the Rosslyn Plant coupled with double shift work continue to provide work opportunities within the company as well as for its vast supplier network. Staff numbers increased by almost 1000 between 1998 and 2004, while over 36 000 downstream jobs have been created within BMW's South African supplier network.

Following the decision to manufacture the BMW 3 Series at Plant Rosslyn, the intensity of the training provided both locally and abroad contributed to the acquisition of the necessary skills required to build a quality product. The 2002 JD Power and Associates' award is testimony to that commitment.

Associates' competency levels are closely scrutinized and developed via our Adult Basic Education (ABE) and Automotive Manufacturing Industry Certification (AMIC) programmes. The AMIC programme has over 1 470 active participants and has produced more than 500 Level 4 accreditations.

The demand for higher skills will in future increase as the manufacturing processes of our product become more complex. Training interventions will therefore continue to play a dominant role in meeting these demands.