The 8th edition of the national final of Young Car Mechanic in Poland has come to an end. The students who competed in the Polish final were not sure until the last moment which of them would be the winner. What's even more exciting, there were two winners for the first time in the history of the competition organized by Inter Cars, but only one of them will represent Poland in the International Final in Lithuania.
The 8th edition with new partners on board
On April 6 and 7, eleven students of the National Final competed at the Automotive and High School Complex No. 1 (Zespół Szkół Samochodowych i Licealnych nr 1 ) in Warsaw. The goal was the opportunity to participate in the International Final, and consequently to compete for the title of Europe's Best Young Car Mechanic, along with all the benefits for the winner. The young enthusiasts checked their knowledge and skills via challenges prepared by renowned automotive suppliers: Bosch, Continental, Elring, Febi, Filtron, Meyle, Schaeffler, Shell, Varta, and ZF Aftermarket. It is worth mentioning that this year NRF, Delphi, and Milwaukee have also joined the group.
A total of 11 tasks were accomplished. Students had the opportunity to deal with control arm replacement, battery diagnostics, air conditioning system diagnostics, repair of the SCR system, replacement of the 2CT clutch in the DSG transmission, or mechatronics of the automatic dual-clutch transmission.
- “We are grateful to our partners, the Inter Cars Foundation, and every person involved in this project. I am also grateful to the teachers for their continuous support and motivation so that the students can develop and increase their professional competence. Thanks to you, the Young Car Mechanic competition is at such a high level and, most importantly, can help students spread their wings in the automotive industry," says Sebastian Baber, Inter Cars Training Manager.
The Accelerator program works and we have the evidence to prove it!
This year's finale was full of surprises. For the second time, a student of the educational and scholarship program Accelerator participated in the competition. He participated in the competition and was judged like the other participants, but he could not be included in the overall classification due to the regulations of the competition.
This year, thanks to the Inter Cars Foundation, such a challenge could be undertaken by Adrian Jureczko from the Mechanical School Complex of Stanislaw Staszic (Zespołu Szkół Mechanicznych im. Stanisława Staszica) in Krosno. This young man surprised everyone by getting the highest number of points in the final, and if he could be classified, he would be the one to win the 8th edition of the national final of Young Car Mechanic.
- The tasks were very well prepared in terms of content. We had access to diagrams and various manuals. The most important element that had to be maintained was the culture of work and the ability to work with manuals. A basic knowledge of mechanics, the principles of parts, and good workshop skills also came in handy. I am glad that I had the opportunity to take part in this competition through the Accelerator program and achieve such a result. My good friend, whom I met here, will go to represent our country in the International Finals in Lithuania, and I wish him all the best," says Adrian Jureczko, a participant of the Accelerator program.
- I was not quite sure that Adrian would get so far. Nevertheless, knowing his character, determination, and eagerness for knowledge, I expected he would be ranked high. Winning first place absolutely exceeded my expectations. I am extremely proud of his achievement," says Piotr Bos, Adrian's teacher at the Mechanical School Complex of Stanislaw Staszic in Krosno.
- Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful event. As the Inter Cars Foundation, we have the pleasure of running the Accelerator and Accelerator Pro programs, which are targeted at the teachers of our Scholars. Adrian's success is not only wonderful news for us but also proof of how talented young people we gather in #TeamAkcelarator. Our support is only a supplement to their passion, talent, and hard work," says Anna Sloboda of the Inter Cars Foundation.
Winners of the 8th edition of Young Car Mechanic in Poland
The 11 finalists competed for the title of the best young mechanic in Poland and the chance to represent our country in the International Final, which will be held in Lithuania. The winner of the competition is Oliwer Jeger from the Mechanical School Complex (Zespół Szkół Mechanicznych) in Opole, and he will compete for the title of the best young car mechanic in Europe.
Jakub Sikorski from the Automotive School Complex (Zespół Szkół Samochodowych) in Bydgoszcz took 2nd place, with a loss of only 1 point. The final student on the podium was Jakub Mazurkiewicz from the Group of Technical and General Education Schools of Stefan Banach (Zespół Szkół Technicznych i Ogólnokształcących im. Stefana Banacha) in Jarosław, who missed only 5 points. So the fight was intense until the very end!
- Being here, I could feel that the level was really high. Especially at the beginning, I thought that since I was already among these 11 finalists I was in the elite Polish group. I honestly had no thoughts indicating that I could win this. On the contrary, the level was really high and the tasks were very difficult and challenging. However, the best thing about them was that people can learn a lot, and for that, I appreciate the Young Car Mechanic competition even more," says Oliwer Jeger, 1st place winner from the Mechanical School Complex in Opole.
- You can never be sure that it is your student who will win a particular competition, because it also depends on the level of other participants. I always rate Oliver very high. He has an incredible talent. He is very hardworking and puts a lot of effort into what he has to work on. Such commitment pays off and winning the Young Car Mechanic competition is clear proof of it," says Marek Pacion, a teacher at the Mechanical School Complex in Opole.