29 vocational students at the Škoda Academy have already started working on their Student Car. Since the 2013/14 academic year, apprentices have created their very own dream car with the expert guidance of their instructors – from a blank page to the finished one-of-a-kind vehicle. Throughout the project, they receive support from many Škoda Auto departments, including Škoda Design and Technical Development. Details on the ninth Student Car, such as the vehicle it is based on, the name and the type of conversion will be revealed within the next few months.
Maren Gräf, Škoda Auto Board Member for People & Culture, says: “The Student Car project has been an integral part of the training at the Škoda Academy for nine years now. The tremendous team spirit, the enthusiasm of our talented young apprentices and their attention to detail never fail to impress me. During the project, they acquire practical experience at every stage of development. They also gain expertise and insights into many different departments at the company. I am very much looking forward to seeing Student Car number nine and wish everyone involved lots of fun and success working on this great project.”
Maren Kabowski-Ciecior, Head of the Škoda Academy, says: “With great anticipation, I am closely following our students and the development of the ninth Student Car. This project gives our talented apprentices the opportunity to apply everything they have learned in previous years. At the same time, it lays the groundwork for a promising career at Škoda Auto and introduces students to the wide range of possible positions at our company. Our students can discover new areas of interest and make an initial decision on where they would like to work and contribute their talents.”
Early Student Car forerunners in 1975
So far, students from the Škoda Vocational School have designed and built eight Škoda Student Cars under the supervision of their instructors. More information on the previous Škoda Student Cars can be found here. The eighth Student Car, the Škoda Afriq, was supported by Škoda Motorsport for the first time. Early forerunners of the innovative project – the only one of its kind in the Czech Republic – were four units of the Škoda Buggy Type 736, hand-built in 1975 by Škoda vocational students for the emerging autocross scene in former Czechoslovakia.
