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Volkswagen Group China considers supporting the sustainable development of China’s auto industry as an important mission. In addition to providing consumers with reliable, high-quality products and services, the Group has also continued to cultivate innovative talents to adapt to the future trends of the industry. In 2021, Volkswagen Group China teamed up with the China Education Development Foundation to launch the Youth Summit project. The project creates an exclusive platform for young talents in universities to engage in innovative practices for future mobility. The project has offered a series of competency training and coaching activities to promote students’ innovation, enhance their overall competitiveness and support their development.
Since its launch in 2021, the Youth Summit project has reached more than 200 universities, benefiting almost 20,000 young students. Survey results of the project indicate that nearly 70% of the students involved stated that the project has "enhanced their professional knowledge and skills in the mobility industry." Over 60% of students expressed that the project has "enriched their extracurricular life and broadened their horizons." More than half of the students said that they believed the project has helped them "improve general skills such as teamwork, communication, innovative thinking, and self-directed learning."
In 2023, Youth Summit sparked campus dialogues on future mobility with promising young talents in five universities in Shanghai, Hefei, Wuhan, Chengdu and Beijing through a variety of interactive activities, such as panel discussions, innovation camps, and group presentations. This year, the project will focus on five mobility topics: “inclusive mobility in cities”, “vehicle structure innovation”, “big data solutions for safer mobility”, “emotional design for intelligent vehicles”, and “the future mobility ecosystem”. Through diversified online courses, the project aims to promote students’ innovation, enhance their overall competitiveness and support the cultivation of interdisciplinary talents.
In 2022, Youth Summit Innovative Camp, under the theme of “Creating Future Mobility”, concluded in Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Shanghai. 448 students from 144 universities took part in the camps. They explored the mobility industry through unique topics linked to each city and proposed 94 outstanding proposals that could help shape future mobility. In addition to the camps, 12 online capacity-building training sessions, covering topics like career development, technical knowledge, and automotive industry trends, were held for over 8,000 students to meet their needs and promote their overall skill development.
In 2021, the project focused on “Creating Low Carbon Mobility”, with 34 online and offline training sessions delivered to over 8,000 students from more than 100 colleges and universities in over 35 Chinese cities. The project received 205 proposals. After several selection rounds by the project committee composed of 21 industry experts, the top 10 proposals were named based on creativity, feasibility, sustainability and social value. Several young managers from the Group R&D department participated in the project as mentors and judges, providing professional guidance, sharing their expertise, and exchanging creative ideas with students, empowering them to consider the implications of their innovation.
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“A strong youth generation leads to a strong country.” The youth hold the key to the future development of the country. For youth, participating in football not only enhances their physical fitness, but also improves a spirit of teamwork, cultivates perseverance and tenacity, and builds a confident and optimistic attitude toward life, which is of great significance to the physical and mental health of young people. Football teaches passion, focus, self-confidence, persistence and teamwork, which all align with the Volkswagen culture.
In 2015, Volkswagen Group China, in partnership with the China Sports Foundation and the Chinese Football Association, established the Volkswagen Youth Football Development Fund, to invest 25 million RMB from 2021 to 2025. In 2021, Volkswagen launched its new Volkswagen Youth Football project together with the China Sports Foundation, focusing on grassroots youth football, and expanding young people’s access to the beautiful game.
Volkswagen Football Charity Day
In August 2022, the 2022 Volkswagen Football Charity Day gave over 120 young people and their families the opportunity to explore their footballing passion through professional training from Bayern Munich FC, football-themed and public welfare activities. Through the event, football equipment was donated to students at Fumin Primary School in Gulang, Wuwei, Gansu Province, supporting young people in underdeveloped areas to pursue their own footballing dreams.
Volkswagen Grassroots Youth Football Coaches' Training Program
In May 2022, Volkswagen, together with the China Sports Foundation and Chinese Football Association, provided professional coaching advice and training guidance for the 96 grassroots coaches from Xi'an, Beihai, Bayannur, and Kunming. 24 top-performing coaches will join the advanced training. The project aims at cultivating football talents and promoting the long-term development of Chinese football with benefit more than 20,000 people.
Volkswagen Youth Football Online Camp
Launched in September 2022, the Volkswagen Mobile Football Truck Challenge online campaign attracted around 15,000 participants. It encourages charitable activity through online quizzes and football skill challenges. Through this campaign, Volkswagen and its public welfare partners donated 450 football kits to students in Qianxinan Prefecture and Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture to help them realize their football dreams. This is part of Volkswagen’s ongoing charity activities that bring football to children in China’s underdeveloped regions.
In 2021, together with the China Sports Foundation, Volkswagen launched the “Volkswagen Youth Football Online Camp” WeChat mini program, the first online youth football education platform in China's public welfare field. The mini program has provided over 80 online courses teaching professional football skills, covering the basics of football, technical and tactical training, physical training, protection and nutrition for the benefit of young players, coaches, and parents, conveying the concept of health, safety and the spirit of football. In 2022, The “Volkswagen Youth Football Online Camp” WeChat mini program has been upgraded with a new charity function that encourages deeper engagement in football public welfare.