Volkswagen Continues Vocational Training Initiative In 2009

WOLFSBURG – November 10, 2008: Next year, 2,830 young people will begin their apprenticeship with the Volkswagen Group worldwide. 9,626 young people are currently in various stages of their apprenticeship at the company’s international locations. This was announced in Wolfsburg today by Dr. Horst Neumann, member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG with responsibility for Human Resources. He emphasized that “we are therefore continuing our worldwide training initiative in 2009, which will be a difficult year. The automobile industry thrives on the technical competence of its engineers and skilled workers and offers outstanding opportunities for the future.”

Dr. Neumann continued: “We are improving the qualification and competence of our apprentices and currently introducing vocational training standards valid across national borders. Volkswagen offers exciting prospects for young people with personality, commitment, a thirst for knowledge and a lively interest in cars.” The Chairman of the Volkswagen Group Works Council, Bernd Osterloh, said: “This training initiative has our full support. Given the rapidly developing shortage of skilled workers, this is the only effective strategy to raise Volkswagen’s competitiveness in the medium term. Well-trained young colleagues represent an investment in the future of our sites, our products and the nine brands in the Volkswagen Group.”

The company provides training in commercial and industrial/technical vocations as well as the service sector in its Automotive and Financial Services Divisions. Volkswagen Group apprentices receive a vocational training contract which culminates in a formal qualification, irrespective of national stipulations. Apprentices usually complete three years of vocational training comprising theory and practice.

At the plants in Wolfsburg, Brunswick, Emden, Hanover, Kassel and Salzgitter alone, Volkswagen AG provides 1,250 apprenticeships. The deadline for applications is November 30, 2008. Information on the range of vocational training courses and online application forms are available from www.vw-azubi.de. Information for those interested in vocational training at Volkswagen’s Chemnitz and Zwickau plants and the Dresden Transparent Factory, all of which are located in Saxony and where a further 85 apprenticeships are being offered, is available from www.volkswagen-sachsen.de and www.glaesernemanufaktur-jobportal.de.

Volkswagen also offers an integrated degree and traineeship program called StiP. Applications for this program close on April 30, 2009. Places are awarded on an ongoing basis, so early applicants stand the best chance. Information on StiP is also available from the above websites.