VW invests in training & charging at US dealerships
Volkswagen of America has announced that it is now investing $20 million to support its more than 600 dealership partners to transform into “regional hubs of EV experience.”
The idea of the program is to provide Volkswagen’s 50-state dealership network – which includes over 600 dealerships – with underlying EV infrastructures such as upgraded service centres and high-capacity chargers. The program seeks to enhance consumer access for electric cars.
Volkswagen says that the program will continue through June 2022. The carmaking giant says that the investment will enable the adding of 23,490 kW of charging capacity, the training of more than 1,260 EV service technicians, and the implementation of dedicated EV specialists who will be responsible for creating “e-mobility centric consumer experiences across the country”.
Not just the transition of the transport industry, but also digitalisation is meaning that employers across the globe are having trouble finding qualified staff and are having to retrain older employees with new skills. Volkswagen is picking up the gauntlet and has launched a dedicated EV Technician Retention Program. The aim here is to support dealers to boost training, and to incentivise their highly skilled technicians. The program should also help recruit new talent “equipped at addressing the EV shift”.
To keep dealership technicians happy, they are to be financially rewarded with a retention bonus of $2,000 per year. The aim is to empower existing employees to gain new individual certifications that will enhance their skillsets. This should build up comprehensive expertise for the ID.4 and all the upcoming Volkswagen electric models in foreseeable future.
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