Porsche sets up Asia training center in RP

By Tina Arceo-Dumlao

Porsche sports cars are mean machine that leaves most other automobiles in their dust. The proudly German-made vehicles pack a lot of horsepower in their curvy, lightweight body.

Keeping such a sophisticated and expensive piece of equipment in top condition understandably requires precision maintenance, the kind that comes only after intense training.

Unfortunately, mechanics qualified to check under the hood of a Porsche and give it the care that it deserves come few and far between. The demand for such expertise has outstripped supply.

It was the desire to widen the pool of qualified mechanics that led to the decision of the Stuttgart-based car company to set up the Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia in the Philippines, the first Porsche facility of its kind outside Germany.

That the first training and recruitment facility was set up in the Philippines, and not in other countries with much bigger markets like the United States, is a testament to Porsche's faith in the quality of mechanics produced in the country, says Robert Coyiuto Jr., chair of PGA Cars Inc., exclusive Porsche distributor in the Philippines.

Filipino brand of service

Coyiuto explains that Porsche is no stranger to the Filipino brand of service because there is a good number of Filipino mechanics servicing Porsche cars not just in the Philippines but in other countries as well.

In fact, PGA loses many of its highly trained mechanics to other dealerships abroad that offer top dollar for their skills as well as facility with the English language, ability to adapt in a foreign country and ease in dealing with other cultures.

Coyiuto is confident, however, that with the recruitment and training center in place, PGA Cars and the dealerships in the region will not run out of qualified mechanics.

Partnering with Don Bosco

Partnering with Porsche in the training center project is the Don Bosco Technical Institute (DBTI) of Makati, which has long been providing car companies in the country with mechanics equipped with basic automotive skills combined with an enviable love for work.

Established in the early 1970s, the DBTI Manpower Skills Training Center teaches for 10 months disadvantaged but promising youth how to fix cars, which are then capped with on-the-job training in automotive companies, including PGA Cars.

Under the program with Porsche and PGA, DBTI will provide basic technical training. The technicians who complete the training can advance to the Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia within PGA Car's premises on Edsa.

Once there, they will receive a specialist training program to make them highly qualified automotive mechanics and electricians.

1st batch of trainees

DBTI, which draws its 1,200 graduates a year from the out-of-school youth, recommended many of its graduates to take part in the special Porsche scholarship program.

Fourteen were selected by Porsche officials from the region to be part of the first batch of trainees who will start getting instruction from a master technician from Porsche headquarters in April.

The scholars will also get mandatory English lessons and will attend seminars on effective communication skills to prepare them for possible deployment overseas.

Thirty scholars a year

Porsche and PGA are committed to put 30 scholars through the training center every year.

"They will obtain not just technical training but also access to the Porsche information network, which is exclusive to Porsche partners," Coyiuto says.

Deployment worldwide

Once they complete their training, they will then be deployed to Porsche's worldwide dealership network as Porsche-certified mechanics, ensuring them of a salary of about P40,000 a month.

Coyiuto says that Porsche and PGA will shoulder the training expenses and the scholars will even get an allowance.

The cost is significant but Coyiuto says PGA Cars will get its return on investment not in terms of money but in terms of added prestige to the Porsche brand.

"It is a win-win situation for us because we instill this confidence in the brand among our clients, that their cars are being taken cared of by the best," he says.

Porsche also wins because it is assured of a steady supply of qualified mechanics, especially with the expected growth in the sales of luxury sports cars.

Scholars free to work anywhere

As Christer Ekberg, Porsche Asia-Pacific managing director, said during the launch of the center on Dec. 13, "recruiting qualified automotive technicians is key to providing professional support at our Porsche centers as Porsche is a manufacturer using state-of-the-art and cutting-edge technology."

"Establishing the Porsche Training and Recruitment Center in Asia in the Philippines makes perfect sense as we have the full support of Don Bosco, a well-established technical training institute, as well as PGA Cars," Ekberg said.

"We are certain that Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia will offer a sustainable solution to meet the increasing need for qualified technicians in our Porsche Center network," he said.

Coyiuto stresses that the scholars are free to choose where they want to work. They will not be made to sign any contract to work with PGA in the Philippines.

Raising flag

He explains that while it will be sad to see the trainees leave for abroad, he is heartened by the fact that they are raising the flag for Filipino workers overseas.

"This new breed of Porsche technicians is a source of pride not only for PGA Cars but also for the country," he adds.