· Total of more than 4,400 apprentices in Germany, more than 6,000 worldwide

· Number of apprenticeships to remain stable in 2010

STUTTGART — In the fall of 2009, 1,439 apprentices started their training at more than 45 Bosch locations in Germany. This means that the company was able to achieve a slight increase on last year’s figure, which was already high. “Comprehensive, high-quality training ensures that we have skilled people with the right qualifications. This is why, as part of our social commitment, we have been training more people than we actually need for many years now. Currently, the figure is 27 percent higher than the actual requirement,” says Dr. Wolfgang Malchow, the Bosch board of management member responsible for human resources. In 2010 as well, Bosch expects to keep the number of apprenticeships in Germany constant.

60 percent of the new apprentices have a tenth-grade school-leaving certificate, 32 percent a university-entrance qualification, and 8 percent a ninth-grade school-leaving certificate. The new apprentices also include roughly 230 students from the “dual university” (where students alternate between the classroom and the workplace) and from universities of cooperative education. Following their three-year course of study, students from the dual university graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Graduates from the universities of cooperative education receive both a bachelor’s degree and a journeyman’s qualification from the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK). In Germany, Bosch currently has more than 4,400 young people in its occupational training programs, and more than 6,000 worldwide. They can choose from more than 40 different professions.

Encouraging share of young women
This year, roughly 960 of the young people opted for a technical apprenticeship. They could choose classic metalworking and electrical engineering professions, or opt for professions in areas such as microtechnology, systems IT, or specialist IT. “We are pleased to see that the share of young women taking apprenticeships in the technical field has remained stable at roughly 13 percent,” Malchow said. In terms of the total number of new apprentices, the share of young women is some 23 percent. “Bosch promotes a wide variety of offers for young women in order to spark their interest in technology. Initiatives such as the “Girls’ Day,” at which young women gain insights into technical careers, or femtec, the German higher education career center for women in engineering and the sciences, are increasingly bearing fruit,“ Malchow said. In 2009 alone, more than 1,100 young women participated in Girls’ Day at 29 Bosch locations in Germany.

Educational alliances with kindergartens and schools
To arouse children’s and adolescents’ interest in technology, science, and business at an early age, Bosch plays an active role in the “Knowledge factory – companies for Germany” initiative, of which it is a founding member. The company has already entered into 56 educational partnerships with kindergartens and schools across Germany. Bosch, as a sponsoring company, also organized the Baden-Württemberg heat of the “Jugend forscht” competition for young research talent for the 24th year in a row.

Training at Bosch has a long tradition
At Bosch, occupational training can look back on a long tradition: In 1888, two years after he opened his “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering" in Stuttgart, Robert Bosch hired his first apprentice. In 1913, he set up an independent apprenticeship department with an industrial training workshop. As early as 1920, this workshop offered training for 110 apprentices.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. According to preliminary figures, some 270,000 associates generated sales of roughly 38 billion euros in the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology in fiscal 2009. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros for research and development, and applies for over 3,000 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH. Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com.

PI6741 - September 18, 2009