One-off Compact Coupé: ŠKODA Apprentices Build Dream Car

ŠKODA apprentices build their dream car: a compact coupé with rear hatch and long glass roof. This is now the third unique ‘ŠKODA Apprentice Car’. The young team recently presented the latest developments to the Board of Directors.

For several months, a team of 27 apprentices of the ŠKODA Vocational School have been working on the unique ‘ŠKODA Apprentice Car III’, with the help of instructors at the company’s headquarters in Mladá Boleslav. The departments for technical development, design, and production are supporting the project, for which the ŠKODA Academy is responsible. The finished vehicle study will be presented to the public in May. The car is yet to receive a name.

This is the third time that ŠKODA has run the apprentice project. The apprentices recently presented the latest updates on the project to ŠKODA CEO Bernhard Maier, ŠKODA Board Member for Production Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA Board Member for HR Bohdan Wojnar and experts from ŠKODA’s specialist departments. “It’s great to see our students’ passion and commitment to this project,” says ŠKODA Board Member for HR Bohdan Wojnar. “The next emotive vehicle study has arisen with ŠKODA’s third Trainee Car. ‘Trainee Car III’ is also going to be an extraordinary car,” Wojnar is convinced. “Just like its predecessors, this project will show how great our trainees’ technical and manual skills are.”

The project aims to promote the creativity and expertise of the vocational students, and to harness their enthusiasm in designing their own car. The unique ‘ŠKODA Apprentice Car III’ is the result: The car has a coupé-style body with two extended doors. Two-tone paint in red and black and a long glass roof visually stretch the contours. With the current ‘Trainee Car’, ŠKODA is continuing this new tradition: 2014 saw the presentation of the ultra-compact CitiJet convertible based on the ŠKODA Citigo; the FUNStar pick-up, with technology from the ŠKODA Fabia, followed in 2015.

“At first we did not know how exciting this task would be,” says Daniel Voce, an apprentice in the project team, consisting of 5 young women and 22 young men. “We are developing in all areas of the automobile,” Voce said. Team leader Zdeněk Stanke explained, “I am proud of my team. We are progressing very well because everyone is giving their all. It should be emphasised that our trainees must bring the project work in line with their schoolwork.”

The Czech carmaker is once again emphasising the high standard of ŠKODA’s apprenticeship programmes with this apprentice project. The Vocational School, founded in 1927, offers young people three- or four-year training programmes in technical subjects. Almost 900 apprentices, of which 14.3% are women, are currently enrolled on 14 full-time training courses. Around 100 employees are advancing their qualifications in the school’s postgraduate programme.