BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, S.C., is its biggest production facility in the world. It produces 1,400 cars a day and sends 70% of them overseas, making BMW the biggest car exporter in the U.S. By employing 9,000 people and training 100 apprentices at any one time, the BMW plant contributes to a skilled American workforce.
As high-wage countries, Germany and the U.S. face similar challenges in protecting existing production facilities and creating new manufacturing jobs. One of the most decisive factors for companies is whether they can find skilled and motivated workers, which is what apprenticeship programs provide. It’s also important to prepare for the industries of the future. In the era of New Manufacturing (what Europe has dubbed “Industry 4.0”), artificial intelligence and other digital technologies will transform factories and the workplace.
We all know that there is a tendency toward higher education in the U.S. Nevertheless, the success of the German apprenticeship model builds on the conviction that it is an equivalent alternative to college education. That approach in Germany has provided a solid return on companies’ investment, helped them to innovate, and contributed to warm relations between employers and employees.
Classroom discussion questions:
- Why is this model so rare in the U.S?
- What other German company has widely used apprentice training in the U.S? (see Chapter 1)