BMW gearing up to train young unemployed Spaniards

German car giants BMW have set their sights on smart Spaniards

Spanish-German relations were given another boost last week following the news that car giants BMW, based in a wealthy corner of Southern Germany, will recruit 25 young Spanish workers in a pilot training programme based on “giving something back to its customer countries”.

Animosity between the two countries has been brewing over the past year as Spaniards have worked hard to shed the ‘Club Med’ image that some Germans have held of their Southern European counterpart: as a lazy, hot-headed and irresponsible nation. All untrue of course, but fling enough mud…

A recent treaty between the two countries has seen Germany extend up to 5,000 vocational opportunities for young Spaniards, with this latest initiative from BMW open for 18-25-year-olds keen on a potentially lucrative career with one of the world’s most respected car makers.

The successful applicants will be trained for a year at BMW’s Munich headquarters, the company’s personnel chief, Milagros Caiña-Andree told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

”They should be immersed in German culture, possibly live with a BMW host family and work in development, sales, marketing or another area. After that, these young people can go back home or stay here.

“We want to give something back to these countries that have struggled, in which we sell our cars, after all,” said Caiña-Andree, echoing Jon Bon Jovi’s comments earlier in the week after his band agreed to waive their appearance fee for their forthcoming Madrid performance.