From training rooms to a global learning movement

The challenge: A moment of truth

VCST & BMT Alutech wanted to make a philosophical change: learning is for everyone. Technical content would be open to all roles (blue- and white-collar), with mandatory assignments by job and optional access for those seeking further career growth.

Flying engineers between countries for training “wasn’t sustainable,” says Sam Mantoufe, VCST’s Global L&D Lead. The cost, time, and single-learner impact couldn’t scale with VCST’s operational needs across five multilingual regions.

They needed a solution that would make learning accessible for everyone, from factory workers to engineers, while keeping technical and compliance content consistent.
“Introducing an LMS alone doesn’t create change; you need a cultural shift and champions who bring people along,” explained Sam Mantoufe.

The change: Introducing Valamis… and MILES

VCST selected Valamis as its strategic partner and launched MILES, the Modular Interactive Learning Ecosystem. The team personified the platform with a mascot and a “birthday” launch (November 2024) alongside on-site celebrations and internal marketing from the L&D team.

The VCST learning ecosystem “MILES” has brought high levels of engagement.

A launch people remember

The L&D team cleverly designed a highly engaging launch, one that would keep employees coming back for more over the weeks and months that followed. They included:

• Global onboarding learning paths: “MILES explores the world of VCST & BMT Alutech.” The programs embraced the company’s plant locations, using playful cultural references to make onboarding memorable, from Romania’s links to Dracula to waffles from Belgium.
  Each path also included production plant profiles, key customers and components, and required accreditations such as IATF and ISO, keeping the experience both fun and job-relevant.
• Gamified adoption: With team-based competitions, leaderboards on the platform’s homepage, rewards and recognition, with a multilingual rollout.
• Learning Champions: Local points of contact in production plants across Mexico, Romania, and Belgium, all trained through the Valamis Center of Excellence to build capability sustainably.

“We turned our learning platform into a learning movement. Engagement followed.” — Sam

How Valamis supports an ongoing partnership

VCST’s dedicated Valamis Learning Solution Partner, Veerle Numan, became an extension of the team to co-design launch tactics, coach champions, tune analytics, and remove blockers in real time.

“Nearly everyone who starts a course finishes it, and this tells us something so important: that the content is relevant and engaging.” — Veerle Numan, Learning Solution Partner, Valamis

• Learning paths and social learning made knowledge-sharing part of the daily routine across plants and roles.
• Multilingual support removes language barriers for engineers and factory workers alike.
• AI-powered quizzes cut assessment build time from hours to minutes.
• Analytics and insights (including learning path analysis) reveal behavior patterns and inform the next iteration.

A full culture change, not just courses

VCST & BMT Alutech is embedding learning into daily life through:

• Essential Skills Challenge: Five key skills, friendly competition, and real-time progress for learning that motivates through teamwork.
• Open Access: Everyone can see technical content; what’s mandatory depends on the role, balancing structure and freedom.
• Champions & Capacity: A small central team, big local impact. Champions and clear standards keep learning consistent and high quality.

“We’re moving from one-to-one training to collective learning to positive peer pressure, social learning, and plant-to-plant knowledge sharing.” — Sam

Why AI, and why never only AI

When evaluating other, more AI-heavy LMS options, VCST & BMT Alutech chose Valamis for its balanced approach. The Valamis platform uses AI to speed up admin work and deliver deep analytics, while keeping human expertise at the center. As Sam noted, “AI should take the admin load off (think quizzes in minutes, not hours). But our subject matter experts still shape the learning our people need.”

AI takes care of the heavy lifting, such as auto-generating quizzes, tagging content, and translating materials quickly, while VCST’s L&D experts focus on aligning learning with real plant needs and compliance training.

This balance uses AI where it saves time, and people where it shapes outcomes.

• AI accelerates routine work, such as assessments and content preparation, saving minutes without replacing expertise.
• Subject matter experts and L&D teams remain in control, ensuring relevance, rigor, and a consistent voice.
• Learning analytics then close the loop, showing what works and where to improve.

“We can’t meet business needs with generic AI content. Skilled L&D remains essential.”— Sam

VCST’s smart factory in Belgium shows how innovation and technology are shaping the future of automotive manufacturing.

Next steps: Empowering blue-collar learning at scale

The next chapter of VCST & BMT Alutech’s learning journey is to scale the success they’ve achieved in just one year, turning learning into an everyday habit for thousands of blue-collar employees across plants and regions.

“By integrating systems and expanding AI-assisted upskilling, we’re making sure every employee is ready to grow and succeed in a fast-changing industry.” — Sam

The goal is to make learning as accessible and natural as the work itself. To get there, VCST & BMT Alutech are preparing to:

• Expand access: SAP-driven user sync and SSO rollout for all roles.
• On-site learning: Install bookable factory-floor learning stations.
• Data-driven insights: Link learning analytics directly to business outcomes.
• Future skills: Use AI-assisted skills mapping for targeted upskilling.