BMW 2008 Annual Report Download - page 29

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14 Group Management Report
14 A Review of the Financial Year
16 General Economic Environment
20 Review of Operations
42 BMW Stock and Bonds
45 Disclosures pursuant to § 289 (4)
and § 315 (4) HGB
47 Financial Analysis
47 Internal Management System
49 Earnings Performance
51 Financial Position
52 Net Assets Position
55 Subsequent Events Report
55 Value Added Statement
57 Key Performance Figures
58 Comments on BMW AG
62 Risk Management
68 Outlook
on a high level for many years. At the same time, due to
their good performance, many apprentices were able to
shorten their training periods, resulting in decreased num-
bers in statistical terms at the year-end. The BMW Group
employed , apprentices at  December , . 
fewer than one year earlier.
BMW AG’s apprenticeship ratio in Germany (i. e. the ratio of
apprentices to the total workforce) increased slightly in 
by . percentage points to .  . Starter programmes for
high school leavers and university graduates are also in
place
to complement the range of opportunities available to
those
about to start their careers with the BMW Group.
Focused basic and further training
As a premium provider, the BMW Group attaches great im-
portance to both the basic and the further training of its
workforce. Further training is always tailored to suit require-
ments and carried out with specific objectives in mind.
The BMW Group continued to invest at a high level during
the financial year . In response to difficult business
conditions, the BMW Group’s further training activities were
focused on selected target groups and specific priority
topics in . As a consequence, total expenditure of euro
 million was .  lower than in .
Demand for positions abroad remains strong
The international transfer of know-how and networking at
all levels are crucial factors for businesses such as the
BMW Group. In view of this fact, specialists are, for exam-
ple, specifically sent to various manufacturing sites when
production start-ups commence for new models, thus
ensuring a consistent level of high quality during each start-
up throughout the entire production network. An increas-
ing number of employees are also taking on international
duties within the development and purchasing network.
During the year under report, more than  BMW AG
employees worked outside their home country, Germany.
The main targets were North America, the United Kingdom
and China. Furthermore, approximately  employees
from non-German BMW Group locations were on assign-
ments in Germany or at international sites away from their
home countries. Employees on longer-term placements
spend an average of two-and-a-half years abroad. This is
a sufficient length of time for them to pass on process and
technical know-how, receive further training while abroad
and, at the same time, gain international experience which
will stand them in good stead during the course of their
subsequent careers.
Attractiveness as employer confirmed
The BMW Group continued to be amongst the most at-
tractive employers in . This fact was underscored by
numerous studies and ranking lists. In the study entitled
“Germany’s Most Popular Employers” (Trendence), young
academics from business and engineering fields judged
the BMW Group to be one of the most popular employers
in Germany. Another study, the “Universum Student Survey
” (Universum) also came to the same conclusion;
further confirmation of the fact that the BMW Group has an
excellent reputation amongst business and engineering
students.
“Today for Tomorrow” project – taking a proactive
approach to demographic realities
The ageing of society affects the economy as a whole as
well as each individual company. The BMW Group is there-
fore consciously taking up the challenges of demographic
change with an awareness of the opportunities it offers.
The cornerstone for maintaining the ability of the BMW
Group’s workforce to perform with the appropriate set
of skills was laid in the wide-ranging project “Today for
Tomorrow”. The project was divided into five main areas
of action: health management and preventative care,
quali-
fications and skills, work environment, individual working-
life time models and communication. During the second
half of , further steps were taken in successfully imple-
menting the results of the project within the organisation.
Amongst a wide range of measures taken, a great deal of
effort was expended in  to adapt production systems
Employee fluctuation ratio BMW AG
as a percentage of workforce
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
04 05 06 07 08
1.91 2.45 2.68 2.66 5.85
2
 Number of employees on unlimited employment contracts leaving the company
 after implementation of previously reported measures to reduce the size of the
workforce