BMW Group UK launched Apprentice 2036 and The Spark Lab to introduce children as young as five to electric vehicle engineering and automotive careers, responding to research showing that 58% of UK parents begin thinking about their child's future career between ages four and eleven.
- BMW Group UK introduced The Spark Lab, a hands-on EV engineering workshop for five- and six-year-old students designed to build awareness of automotive and technology careers.
- 58% of UK parents surveyed said they started thinking about their child's future career between ages 4-11, with ages 4-6 being the most common starting point at 30%.
- 76% of parents believe primary school children should have more opportunities to visit workplaces and participate in practical activities like engineering and technology.
- 78% of parents believe artificial intelligence will significantly change available jobs, while 49% are uncertain about which skills their children will need in the future workplace.
- Children starting school today could be eligible for BMW apprenticeships in 2036 in areas including automotive technology, manufacturing, engineering, marketing, and communications.
BMW Group UK is introducing children as young as five to electric vehicle engineering through a new program designed to build awareness of automotive and technology careers.
The automaker launched Apprentice 2036 alongside The Spark Lab, a hands-on EV engineering workshop created for five- and six-year-old students. The initiative follows research commissioned by BMW Group UK that found parents are increasingly thinking about their children’s future careers during the primary-school years.
The research surveyed 2,500 UK parents. Among 2,000 parents who had begun considering their child’s future working life, 58% said they started between ages four and 11, with ages four to six the most commonly selected age range at 30%.
By comparison, 50% of parents whose children are now 19–24 said they first began thinking about careers when their children were 15–18. Thirty-eight per cent said they wished they had started earlier.
The research also found 76% of parents believe primary school children should have more opportunities to visit workplaces and participate in practical activities such as engineering and technology.
The findings come as BMW Group UK looks to build its future workforce across its UK operations. Children starting school today could be eligible for apprenticeships in 2036, following a pathway currently used by nearly 500 BMW Group UK apprentices in areas including automotive technology, manufacturing, engineering, marketing and communications.
The Spark Lab brought Year 1 students from Grazeley Church of England Primary School to the BMW Group Academy UK in Reading. Through hands-on activities, students explored electric vehicles, batteries and charging technology before designing their own EVs.
The workshop also focused on problem solving, communication and creativity, which parents identified as the top skills they want their children to develop from a young age.
The research found that technological change is adding uncertainty for families. Seventy-eight per cent of parents believe artificial intelligence will significantly change the jobs available to their children, while 49% said they do not know which skills their children will need in the future workplace.
Apprenticeships were identified as a potential route into employment, with 39% of parents saying they would like their child to consider an apprenticeship after secondary school. University was selected by 48% and full-time employment by 35%.
“Parents can see that technology is changing working life, so it is understandable that many are beginning to think about their children’s futures earlier,” said Sam Jarvis, HR Director for UK & Ireland at BMW Group UK.
“The vehicles today’s five and six-year-olds could one day help to design, build, maintain or explain will be very different from those we know now.”
BMW Group UK apprenticeships span areas including accident repair and automotive technology, manufacturing and engineering. Apprentices earn a salary from day one, while Level 6 degree apprentices can earn a degree without taking on student debt.
Through Apprentice 2036 and The Spark Lab, BMW Group UK says it aims to introduce children and families to engineering, technology and the range of career pathways available within the automotive industry.
