Audi México opens all-new training centre

Audi México opened its new Training Centre, which in the future will host over 1,500 training courses a year for employees and apprentices. This advance qualification is laying the foundations for the start of production of the Audi Q5 successor at the new plant in San José Chiapa. Audi México will be recruiting a total of some 3,800 employees by the end of 2016.

At the inauguration in San José Chiapa, Audi Board Member for Human Resources, Prof. h.c. Thomas Sigi, applauded the Training Center as the linchpin of the new plant: “First‑rate qualification equips every single Audi employee for the production start. As an attractive employer, we aim to give our Mexican employees individual training that is tailored to their requirements, at the same time ensuring that we set the highest possible standards on a worldwide competitive scale. That way, we will be able to tailor the preparations for our team and Audi México to future requirements.”

Audi Board Member for Production, Dr. Hubert Waltl, said: “The opening of the Training Centre is an important milestone in the development of our new plant in San José Chiapa. As the first premium manufacturer in Mexico, we will be giving our local employees expert training based on the Audi Production System (APS). We will be providing them with valuable expert knowledge and teaching them superb detailed precision.” In his speech the governor of the State of Puebla, Dr Rafael Moreno Valle, declared: “I can proudly state that we now have the best Training Center of its kind, right here. It underlines Puebla’s position as one of the most important automotive production locations in the world.”

For the construction of the new Training Centre, Audi México was able to forge a partnership with the Mexican State of Puebla and the Universidad Tecnológica de Puebla (UTP). UTP’s staff will in future operate the Training Centre under the supervision of Audi México. 18 trainers will start to provide courses before the end of October. At the event the president of the UTP, Dr. Jorge Guillén, explained: “The Training Centre presents splendid opportunities for the State of Puebla. It will give us the opportunity to refine and pass on our scientific and technological expertise. Thomas Sigi added: “With the support of the UTP, we will be handling all aspects of personnel selection, personnel development and further training under one roof – these are crucial success factors for our new Audi location.”

The 20,000 square metre Training Centre is located in the immediate vicinity of the plant. The building includes a medical department to provide emergency health care. The modern training rooms and workshops are also equipped with state‑of‑the‑art diagnostic technology. The focus will be on qualifications for key areas, primarily those that form part of the Audi Production System. IT and language courses will also be offered. Quality assurance and sustainability topics will in addition enjoy a high profile, such as process quality and the preservation of resources. Audi México expects to hold more than 1,500 courses a year.

Along the lines of the German model, each year 80 apprentices of Audi México will moreover complete dual training at the new Training Centre. There are five vocations to choose from: mechatronics technician, automotive mechatronics technician, tool mechanic, car body construction mechanic and production mechanic. Around 170 apprentices have already started training at the Volkswagen de México Institute. Personnel recruitment by Audi México is therefore progressing according to schedule: The Audi México staffers currently number 1,000 employees, growing to around 3,800 by the end of 2016. The company has received over 70,000 applications have been received to date.