Microsoft is becoming a sponsor of the coding school 42 Wolfsburg. The tech company will participate in the development of the curriculum for automotive software and mobility ecosystems, among other things. In addition, open learning content from Microsoft will be used to develop new forms of certification. Furthermore, Microsoft will support the school with hardware and software as well as financially.
Microsoft thus supports one of the most exciting training concepts for software developers. What is extraordinary about 42 Wolfsburg is that there are neither teachers nor courses or timetables. Instead, talented students learn to shape their own future by taking it into their own hands. In hands-on projects, they independently acquire new knowledge and support each other in improving their coding skills.
In addition, the learning opportunities offered by programming school 42 Wolfsburg are expanded by the topic of the digitization of the automotive and mobility industry. After the first year, students can also choose focal points such as artificial intelligence (AI), data security, or network and system administration.
„At 42 Wolfsburg, we believe in open source and open standards, as these approaches allow all stakeholders to work together on the next generation of interoperable digital mobility solutions. In Microsoft, we have found a strong contender in this area„, says Max Senges, CEO of 42 Wolfsburg.
“With its focus on teamwork, creativity, independence and problem solving, the school fits excellently into the Microsoft culture”, says Microsoft Germany CEO Marianne Janik. “Our success is based not only on IT skills, but also on a value-oriented, responsible entrepreneurial attitude. The training at 42 Wolfsburg promotes exactly what we mean by a ‚growth mindset’.”
The sponsor of the Wolfsburg school is the non-profit association 42 Wolfsburg e.V., which is supported by Volkswagen, among others. Volkswagen and Microsoft are already working together in numerous fields: These include an automotive cloud and building a development platform for autonomous driving as well as joint activities for innovation and sustainability. Since last year, Microsoft and Volkswagen have also been cooperating to increase the clout of both companies in their societal commitment. One example is the 10toGO Thinkathon, in which international teams developed data-based solutions to protect the climate as well as to fight poverty.
“Volkswagen is convinced: strong partnerships are an important lever for shaping technological, digital and social change. We are therefore delighted that with Microsoft, another top player is promoting the innovation potential of the novel educational concept of 42 Wolfsburg. In line with the credo ’stronger together,‘ we are bundling the skills of our companies with Microsoft to contribute to the training of urgently-needed IT specialists,” says Volkswagen Board Member for Human Resources Gunnar Kilian.
Best training with access for all
The “42” concept was developed in France and is now used at more than 30 locations worldwide. More than 10.000 students are already enrolled. “It is particularly important for us that 42 Wolfsburg not only focuses on the highest level of technological expertise, but also provides access to digital education and promotes equal opportunities,” Marianne Janik continues. Anyone interested in training does not have to overcome monetary or formal hurdles. The training is free of charge, and admission is not decided on the basis of formal certificates, but on motivation and competence.
The support of 42 Wolfsburg is another step in Microsoft’s comprehensive commitment to better digital education.
About the 42 Wolfsburg e.V.
42 Wolfsburg is a private and tuition-free programming school and was founded in September 2020. The school stands for coding excellence at a university level. 42 Wolfsburg does not have any admission restrictions, like a higher education entrance qualification. Talented IT enthusiasts over the age of 18 can qualify for a spot by passing a multistage admission test. The innovative educational model is conducted entirely in English and is based on project-based peer learning. There are no books, lectures and teachers, instead it focuses on self-organized learning within a gamified project environment. It is possible to learn the entire range of IT through autonomous learning by solving practice-oriented problems. In Wolfsburg students will also be able to specificalize in the area of Software Engineering Automotive & Mobility Ecosystems (SEA:ME).
42 Wolfsburg is part of the international 42 network and is being supported by the Volkswagen AG. The non-profit coding school sees itself as an additional element to universities of applied sciences with the goal to help accomplish the safeguarding of the future of our country.
http://www.42wolfsburg.de/
About 42 network
The first 42 campus was founded in Paris in 2013 with the vision to create a contemporary coding education. Nowadays the network consists of 33 locations in over 20 countries with about 10,000 students. The peer learning educational model is continuously evolved to keep up with the current and future demands of the tech world. Besides Wolfsburg, Heilbronn is the sister 42 school in Germany, which is supported by The Dieter Schwarz Foundation.
About Volkswagen Group
The Volkswagen Group, with its headquarters in Wolfsburg, is one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. The Group comprises twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN. The passenger car portfolio ranges from small cars all the way to luxury-class vehicles. Ducati offers motorcycles. In the light and heavy commercial vehicles sector, the products range from pick-ups to buses and heavy trucks. Every weekday, 671.205 employees around the globe produce on average 44,567 vehicles, are involved in vehicle-related services or work in other areas of business. The Volkswagen Group sells its vehicles in 153 countries. In 2020, the total number of vehicles delivered to customers by the Group globally was 9.31 million (2019: 10.97 million). Group sales revenue in 2019 totaled EUR 252.6 billion (2018: EUR 235.8 billion). Earnings after tax in 2019 ended amounted to EUR 14.0 billion (2018: EUR 12.2 billion).
About Microsoft
Microsoft Deutschland GmbH was founded in 1983 as the German subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, U.S.A.). As the world’s leading manufacturer of productive software solutions and modern services in the age of intelligent cloud and intelligent edge, as well as a developer of innovative hardware, Microsoft sees itself as a partner to its customers to help them benefit from the digital transformation. As the world’s largest contributor of open-source technology, Microsoft drives progress through its leading developer platform GitHub. With LinkedIn, the world’s largest online career network, Microsoft promotes professional networking worldwide. Microsoft’s revenue is $143 billion (fiscal year 2020; June 30, 2020). The net profit in fiscal year 2020 was $44.3 billion. Microsoft Deutschland GmbH employs a total of more than 3,000 people. They work at the company headquarters (Munich Schwabing) and in nine other regional offices throughout Germany (Bad Homburg, Berlin, Eningen, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Stuttgart, and Walldorf). Together with around 30,000 partners, Microsoft supports companies of all sizes and in all industries in Germany. In addition, the company works together with partners in politics, economics and science on a wide range of initiatives and projects so that everyone can participate in the progress of a digital society
Contact 42 Wolfsburg
Max Senges
CEO & Headmaster 42 Wolfsburg
[email protected]
@MaxSenges
Contact Volkswagen AG
Alexandra Bakir
Spokesperson
[email protected]
Contact Microsoft
Isabel Richter
Corporate Communications
Microsoft Deutschland
[email protected]
@isabel_richter
Contact PR Agency Faktor 3
Kilian Becker
Kattunbleiche 35
D-22041 Hamburg
+49 (40) 679446-6354
[email protected]
