Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics, explained, “The current transformation in the automotive industry also calls for innovative concepts and interesting formats with regards to the collaboration between our company and the country’s universities.” He added, “In order to remain an attractive employer for the best specialists, constant interaction with up-and-coming talent is just as important as offering a wide range of entry-level and career opportunities.”
ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Human Resources, Bohdan Wojnar, said, “A solid education in technical professions is crucial for the future development of the Czech Republic as an automotive hub. That’s why we have established long-term collaborations with many schools and universities that benefit everybody involved. By opening the new co-working lab at our partner university in Liberec, we have created an information hub that combines theory and practice to further improve education in technical professions in the Czech Republic.”
UNI.Lab is the first co-working lab in the Czech Republic. There, students discuss specific projects and developments in the automotive industry with ŠKODA AUTO representatives and can find out about career opportunities for graduates. In addition to lectures, students are also given advice on their bachelor and master dissertations.
Across the country, ŠKODA AUTO supports 20 universities and four dozen vocational secondary schools. The car manufacturer also supplies vehicles and components for studying and research purposes. In 2018, ŠKODA donated 60 non-homologated vehicles, 55 engines, 31 gearboxes and 205 pieces of other technical equipment, which teachers and students are using to gain a deeper understanding of technology and new technological practices.
As a sponsor of the national ‘Junior Mechanic’ competition, ŠKODA AUTO is also actively involved in training for technical trades. More than 4,000 pupils and students regularly take part in this competition, which will be held this year for an impressive 25th time. The finale is traditionally held at the ŠKODA AUTO Service Training Centre.
The promotion of vocational training has a long history at ŠKODA AUTO. The car manufacturer supports pupils and students with a variety of different opportunities and events, including specialist lectures, factory visits, competitions, exhibitions, workshops, hackathons and ŠKODA DAY – an open day which takes place in autumn each year. In addition, ŠKODA offers a variety of programmes for students of technical subjects; up-and-coming talent are awarded a paid internship at the company and offered assistance with writing their final dissertation. ŠKODA offers university graduates a place on an international trainee programme including an internship abroad and a PhD course.
For more information on career opportunities for students and graduates, visit
www.skoda-career.com.
