New BMW Training Center for Scholars

BMW Manufacturing in Greer began construction on a $20 million training center Tuesday.

The $20 million center will be 67,000 square feet and will include classrooms for professional development and technical training, an outdoor amphitheater, and an outdoor meeting and workspace concept, according to a Tuesday news release.

The training center will be located across from the existing Campus Training Center.

"We want to create a 'college campus' atmosphere around the new building with pathways and meeting places. As newly hired associates walk out of the CTC, they see the new training center in front of them and behind that, they see the BMW plant where they will work," Christine Petras, vice president of Human Resources, said in the release.

The training center will be home to BMW's apprenticeship program, BMW Scholars and will replace the current BMW Training and Development Center on Brockman-McClimon Road, which has been in operation for more than 27 years. 

South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt was in attendance at Tuesday's groundbreaking.

"This new training center will ensure BMW technicians are highly trained and skilled in the latest automotive technologies and are prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow." Hitt said in the release.

BMW Manufacturing, headquartered in Greer, currently produces about 1,500 vehicles each day.