Intelligent CXO Issue 25 | Page 59

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VOLKSWAGEN GROUP FUNDS IT AUTOMOTIVE STUDY PROGRAMME AT THE 42 WOLFSBURG CODING SCHOOL

Together with the ‘ 42 ’ coding schools in Wolfsburg and Berlin , along with partners , such as Microsoft and Bosch , the Volkswagen Group has established the SEA : ME degree programme – one of the first open education courses in Europe for software engineering in the automotive and mobility sectors .

The aim of the new programme is to train highly qualified software specialists using modern peer learning methods and develop open , sustainable standards for the mobility system and the mobility transition . Volkswagen is thus making a significant contribution to the free education movement in the automotive and mobility sector .
Gunnar Kilian , Chief Human Resources Officer , Volkswagen Group , said : “ Volkswagen is actively involved in solving the IT skills shortage as a co-initiator of the new course and is thus driving the development of a new , open education ecosystem for the sustainable future of mobility . Together with 42 Wolfsburg and other partners , we ’ re creating an innovative course at the Wolfsburg automotive hub that is precisely tailored to the needs of our sector . This initiative is , therefore , unique in Europe .”
“ We ’ re delighted that Volkswagen , as an important partner and founding member of 42 Wolfsburg , is supporting us with SEA : ME ,” added Dr . Max Senges , CEO of the 42 offshoots in Wolfsburg and Berlin . “ The close collaboration with our strong partners from the world of business means we can ensure that our graduates are optimally prepared for the needs of the automotive sector . In the pioneer year , the first generation of students is now coming together in Wolfsburg to obtain the proof of concept for the innovative curriculum .”
SEA : ME is the first IT study programme in Europe to be specially tailored for the automotive sector . Thanks to the combined focus on IT and automotive technology , the tuition-free course opens up the possibility of gaining in-depth knowledge in both areas in a practical and interdisciplinary environment to anyone with talent .
The course ’ s high level of practical relevance due to industry partnerships with companies such as Volkswagen , Volkswagen ’ s software subsidiary , CARIAD , Microsoft , Bosch and other partners give students the best preparation for starting their careers in the fields of work in question . The members of the partner network , including Korea ’ s Kookmin University , are working closely together on refining the curriculum for the new course and continuously developing its content . All the materials used in the course are open educational resources ( OER ) and can therefore be freely used by learners all over the world .
A special feature of the course is peerto-peer education . The students work independently on a curriculum of learning projects in agile teams without professors or trainers . Renowned experts from industry and science support the students in an advisory capacity as ‘ fellows ’ and ensure that the projects have a high degree of practical relevance . x
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