Munich/New York. Today, on World Children’s Day, the
BMW Group and UNICEF are announcing their long-term partnership under
the slogan “BRIDGE. Educating young people for tomorrow, today.”
The partnership will contribute to UNICEF’s global aim to reach 10
million children and young people each year through education. The BMW
Group’s long-term support, with an initial commitment over seven
years, will help provide science, technology, engineering and maths
(STEM) education and skills development to children and young people
in Africa, Asia and Central and South America.
STEM-related jobs are the engine of global economic growth, yet
millions of these jobs are projected to go unfilled due to a gap in
skills. The problem is more acute in low- and middle-income countries
and much more prevalent among girls and women. Today, women constitute
a minority in both STEM education and careers, representing only 28
per cent of engineering graduates, 22 per cent of artificial
intelligence workers and less than one third of tech sector employees globally.
“Young people around the world have the power and creativity to
influence societies for the better,” says Georg Graf
Waldersee, Chairman of the Board at UNICEF Germany. “We
need to empower and support them so they can become the innovators and
change makers of tomorrow. Because sustainable transformation and the
path to a fairer, safer world begin where young minds come together
and discover their potential – in classrooms or working labs. We are
proud and grateful that the BMW Group is accompanying and supporting
us on this journey as a strong private sector partner.”
“At the BMW Group, we believe that education is the engine that
drives the development of our society,” states Ilka
Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management at BMW AG, People and
Real Estate, Labour Relations Director. “With UNICEF, we
have a long-standing partner at our side who shares this opinion.
Therefore, I am beyond delighted that we are joining forces with our
global collaboration over the long term from now on. Together, we will
bridge the gap between schooling and working life as well as enable
the transfer of knowledge.”
Ilka Horstmeier continues: “With our multinational
workforce on five continents, we consider ourselves as a true
corporate citizen. It is not only important for us to be engaged on a
global level, but also on a local one. That’s why, together with
UNICEF, we get involved at the BMW Group sites worldwide.
Additionally, it is great that we can give our diverse network of
stakeholders the chance to engage and participate in the partnership
to ensure basic education for children in crisis situations.”
Following the launch of the collaboration between the BMW Group and
UNICEF in South Africa in 2023, the partnership will be expanded in
2024 to Brazil, China, India, Mexico and Thailand – all of which have
programme needs and have BMW Group presence. The collaboration will
support programmes ranging from providing laboratory equipment to
developing a customized teacher training curriculum, and from
mentorships to job-shadowing. With this in mind, the BMW Group is not
only providing financial support amounting to two million euros each
year until 2030, but also contributing its own expertise and network.
In addition, in 2024, the BMW Group will join forces with its global
network of affiliates and with the involvement of stakeholders to
raise funds to support the UNICEF’s work in emergencies and protracted
crisis thereby ensuring continuity of children’s learning in safe environments.
For further information, please contact:
BMW Group Corporate Communications
Milena
Pighi
Spokesperson Corporate Citizenship
Email: milena.pa.pighi@bmw.de
Telephone: +49-89-382-66563
Bernd Eckstein
Head of Communications Human Resources, Working
Environment, Real Estate, Corporate Citizenship
Email: bernd.eckstein@bmw.de
Telephone: +49-89-382-59490
Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email:
presse@bmwgroup.com
UNICEF
Laila Ali
UNICEF Geneva
Email:
laali@unicef.org
Telephone: +
41 76 784 65 32
