Azubi cars by Tomas Novotny

AZUBI CARS Students’ dreams come true ŠKODA Mobil supplement

2 Azubi Cars

Building a dream “Carte blanche” at the beginning, a shiny car in the end – all within just a few months. The speed at which the Azubi Car is created is incredible, especially considering that the students have a multitude of other school duties in addition to this project. The schedule has to be planned properly, and tasks defined and assigned clearly; then things go like the clappers, in part also thanks to the students’ future colleagues at the various ŠKODA AUTO departments that support the project.

The students′ year October

ir first meeting Go! Selected students have the participating with representatives from the to proceed in departments to get advice on how id, etc. A short designing their car, what to avo k. The first time later, they start their wor on paper at this Azubi Car draft designs – just stage – are born.

November

audit. The Things get tougher! First Board igns and students prepare their draft des Board selects sketches from among which the Azubi Car. the final design for the future

From car-building work to media interviews “This project is really great. It offers a huge opportunity to both students and their teachers to demonstrate their competence. In this regard, I wish to highlight the teachers’ role. No such car would ever have existed without their support. For the students, this is a unique career development opportunity. They not only apply their theoretical knowledge in practice by building a real car but also take part in various events and give interviews to the media, including on TV. Being part of the Azubi Car team is a unique experience. Personally, I like the technical side of this project, e.g. the bodywork adaptations. Being involved in all the technical and technological changes being made to the cars, many of which are a big challenge, is a great experience for me.” Carsten Brandes, ŠKODA Academy Manager

rch December, January, February, Ma car-building Project work in full swing! The plan. The process progresses according to -progress to students present their work-in but it’s still Board Members on audit days, ts and all about fine-tuning individual par shed car. components and imagining the fini

April

the students Approaching the finish line! All ether and need to do now is put the car tog t presentation fine-tune details because the firs Apprenticeship of the car to the media (on the late April. Centre premises) is scheduled for ze: The This triggers a communication cra s and photos, media publishes the first article ebook, and the Azubi Car appears on Fac Twitter and Instagram.

May

ready to show Grand finale! The students are tations to their car live. They make presen s to the media various audiences, give interview o mapping and pose for photographs. A vide a socialtheir yearlong efforts becomes network hit within a few days.

June, July

media road Camera, lights, action! Time for for a positive tests. The students are hoping weet reward response... good reviews are a s for their efforts.

Azubi Cars Příloha interních novin ŠKODA Mobil. Šéfredaktor: Tomáš Novotný. Grafická úprava a produkce: Technika s.r.o. Vychází: 26. 8. 2016

Bodywork – the foundation for success Three teachers have gradually become part of the bodywork team, sharing new experiences every year and seeing the project change over time. Milan Sychra (top) was involved in producing the first-ever Azubi Car, the CitiJet: “At that time, we just started making contact with Technological Development and Production. One of the biggest problems we faced was how to reinforce the car’s body. Martin Kaudl from Technological Development came to our rescue: His advice was to reinforce the load-bearing parts of the body with metal profiles and then, after cutting the roof off, check the body for any undesired movement and add another profile if necessary.” For the second car, the Funstar, the Apprenticeship Centre teamed up with the Pilot Hall to provide the students with access to state-of-the-art bodywork-drawing technologies. “One of the biggest challenges after reinforcing the rear part was the lining for the bed that was made of stainless steel sheets resembling crystal glass and the Czech flag”, says Radek Bednář (middle), who was responsible for the bodywork part in Year 2 of the project. In Year 3, he was joined by Zdeněk Hanzal (bottom), who says: “We knew right from the beginning that the coupé body would be a challenge. We had to cut out the B pillars, move them 95 millimetres back and make the front doors longer while shortening the rear doors. Moreover, we changed the roof inclination angle and used a completely new tailgate. The only parts of the bodywork that remained unchanged were the floor, the engine compartment and the A pillars. Despite the limited workshop equipment we have, we ended up with body lines that we are really proud of.”

Proof of competence “I have been managing this project since its inception, so I can see how much everything is improving over time. Three years ago, we started from scratch, with no experience and no contacts within the company. The approach of our partners at ŠKODA AUTO changes gradually with every new car we build. While three years ago nearly nobody in this company was aware of the existence of the Apprenticeship Centre (hidden in one of the corners of the old plant site), today we offer a variety of activities in addition to the training syllabus. We prepare young people for their careers at the company by providing them with specialised training, supplying many departments with tailored products, doing a multitude of jobs for Production, etc. Mind you, the Azubi Car is the icing on the cake, proof of our competence. It shows that we have competent teachers and that we are prepared to create brandnew things and thus help the company grow.” Zdeněk Stanke, teacher and Project Manager

We are the first to hear the engine sound “Being the last link in this car-building chain comes with one big advantage: We bring the car to life, and we are the first to hear the engine sound without the exhaust mounted. When the student car is approaching the finish line, I spend more time in Production and in the reconditioned parts warehouse than I do at home. They take me as a member of their team, and they have even offered me a job, saying it would make perfect sense considering how often I show up there. This project gives me a great deal of valuable experience and contacts that I am always prepared to share. The demands placed on quality and design are growing, and I am open to new challenges.” Aleš Zíta, teacher

Reputation builder for both students and teachers “I have been involved in this project since the beginning, and our ambition every year is to make the new car even more perfect, beautiful and sophisticated than its predecessor. Every student car project is a great reputation builder, a demonstration of our students’ skills and competence. All the teachers involved endeavour to use the latest technologies and methods, make new contacts and follow the latest trends, and we often think hard about how to accomplish all the goals we’ve set. The most difficult thing is to combine this project with everyday classes. Sometimes I feel I should be in two places at once.” Zdeněk Krézek, teacher

We need to make good use of every minute “I’ve been involved in all three of the Azubi Cars that have been produced to date, and I can see how eager the students are to take part in these initiatives. What I appreciate most about this project is the opportunity to try out new, unique things that you can only come across when building prototypes. Moreover, the project gives me a unique opportunity to share all this experience with my students. And we learn a lot, too. Finding the right solution is sometimes very difficult, and in many cases we don’t know whether our idea is feasible, and even the designers aren’t always sure that our concept can be turned into reality – for example, they shook their heads in disbelief when they saw the roofline inclination angle we’d designed for the Atero. We need to make good use of every minute, because the project is so time-consuming. That’s probably the biggest challenge. Everything has to be done right the first time; there is no time for second attempts. It’s all hard work, but the result is worth it.” František Komberec, teacher

What’s the best place for media road tests?

Project right up my street

“Every edition is a challenge, but generally the biggest one is to find a suitable place for media road tests. These cars cannot be registered and fitted with standard registration plates; we need a closed road or site. The dynamic presentation of the CitiJet therefore took place in Čapí hnízdo (farm site), the Funstar was done in MeetFactory (contemporary art centre in Prague) and the Atero at the Greyhound Park in Motol (Prague). This project has provided me with loads of new contacts and experience and also an opportunity to get back to the times when I was a student. And it has corrected my impression that today’s teenagers prefer sitting in front of their PCs to doing real things.” David Haidinger, GKP – Product Communication

“I like beating new paths and looking for new solutions. And I like young, radiant people keen to do things independently and without compromises, so this project has been right up my street since the start. This year, we were approached at the point when it became obvious Wörthersee had to be replaced with some other presentation tool. And what is the best way of approaching young people? Online! We therefore came up with a prank video concept: a hidden camera shooting a “magical” car wash that turns any Rapid into a ŠKODA Atero. I believe it was a good decision; check out the ŠKODA YouTube channel or Facebook.” Milan Dědek, VMC – Communication Strategy and Content

We keep moving forward “I believed in the Azubi Car project right from the start, and it really was a success in the end. Although there were many unknowns at the beginning, all of the team members took on their roles with respect and maximum commitment. Every edition is specific and unique in some way. We keep moving forward and learning new lessons through the mistakes we make; in that way, our cars are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and attractive. The students’ enthusiasm is great, and their visions become reality within just a few months. And that is exactly why the Azubi Car is one of my favourite projects.” Martin Kaudl, EGV/14 – Model Production Technologies

Perfect audio system “For us, student cars are fun and a welcome distraction from routine work. Our role is to find the best possible audio system configuration, one that is in line with the students’ ideas, and we need to do all of that within a short span of time. Typically, the system is powerful and features a bold design, including attractively backlit components. It is always a challenge, but the good news is that we become familiar with young people’s idea of the “perfect audio system”. We will keep this knowledge in mind in our future projects.” Petr Rakušan, EEC/2 – Antennas and Sound Systems

Students trump each other with ideas “I have been cooperating with the Apprenticeship Centre since the first edition of the Azubi Car project. Basically, our department coordinates this project on the Production side. Every edition is unique in some way. A lot depends on how bold and creative the team members actually are. Obviously, every new team wants to come up with even smarter ideas than those of their predecessors, and every new edition poses different challenges. The key factor is the core concept the team chooses for their dream car.” Josef Václavík, PAS – SMALL Project Launch Management

Compromises are not accepted; we need to move forward “ŠKODA Design has been supporting the Azubi Car project since its launch. Each of the student teams gets an opportunity to meet with Chief Designer Jozef Kabaň, and then they consult other people in our department about the way they should proceed, specific details, etc. It’s nice to see this student car project grow and improve from one year to the next. From a technological perspective, the biggest challenge so far has been the Rapid redesign, because we had to change the vehicle’s architecture substantially. But every edition is specific, and we always need to work together with the students and their teachers to find an acceptable solution that is not a compromise, i.e. a solution that moves the entire project forward in all respects.” Petr Matušinec, EDE/1 – Design, Exterior

4 Azubi Cars

ŠKODA

CitiJet

“Driving a convertibl e is always fun, and driving the first open-top ŠKO DA after many decades is all the more enj oyable. Although the car is based on the smallest model of ŠKO DA’s product port folio, it is more than roomy.” iDnes.cz 30. 6. 2014

n o i t i d e t s 1 A CitiJet Model: ŠKOD Year: 2014 tudents: Number of s

irst-born children are said to be ambitious and natural leaders, and they are expected to beat the path for their younger siblings. In the Azubi Car project, this role was played by the ŠKODA CitiJet. In 2014, ŠKODA Mobil described this vehicle as a “small tough guy” that had to fight for its spot in the sun, working hard on the Azubi Car’s good reputation with people at ŠKODA AUTO. This mission was accomplished successfully, so let’s look back at its biggest strengths. The students’ ambitions in the first edition of the project were not low: They decided to produce a stylish convertible based on the Citigo. Two seats inside, two colours outside – blue and white. The car’s sports-tuned lightweight alloy wheels were painted blue, too, and the sporty look was further underscored by a hand-made rear spoiler and a double-tipped exhaust. The vehicle was fitted with a 1.0 MPI (55 kW) engine. The interior featured a sporty look, too – the mix of blue and white was combined with red. The three-spoke wheel was decorated with red thread, and the dashboard was red and white. Visitors to the car’s world premiere at Wörthersee admired the high-power 300W audio system and the blue-LED interior lighting responding to music. Production and Technological Development supported the students throughout the sixmonth car-building period, and Chief Designer Jozef Kabaň and his team lent their hands to the design side. Commenting on the result, Jozef Kabaň said: “Each of the students put their whole heart into this project. Everything was discussed, decided and done by the whole team. The result is a unique, exciting car that all the people involved can be proud of.”

Through the eyes Jakub Sedlář You took part in the first edition. At that time, not many people knew what the Azubi Car was all about. What were your expectations? Mainly to experience something new, something different than just sitting in the classroom. When I heard about the project for the first time, I thought it could be fun. Mind you, I have liked cars since I was a kid, and I really like “playing around with them”. The project work was rather timeconsuming, but it was all worth it. I learnt many new things and experienced what I wouldn’t have experienced anywhere else. If you were to build the Azubi Car today, is there anything you or your team would do differently? Of course, there are many things that could be done better, from the car’s design to its presentation, but that’s normal when you do something for the first time. Team communication might be one of the areas; we were a 16-strong team, and in the early stages we found it rather difficult to agree on things. Sometimes, we had too many ideas; sometimes, we didn’t have any... Where did you go when you left school, and which of the skills you learnt in the Azubi Car project do you find most useful? The Czech Technical University’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Of all the skills I learnt during this project, communication skills and preparedness to face new challenges – no matter how difficult they look at the beginning – are probably the ones I find most useful. The project has shown me how difficult and challenging it is to build a new car, and that, I believe, is another thing I will find useful in my majors, i.e. structural design and mechanical engineering.

hrough the eyes T of Radovan Juráš You took part in the first edition. At that time, not many people knew what the Azubi Car was all about. What were your expectations? I found it “cool”. And, in particular, I liked the prospect of cooperating with the ŠKODA Design Centre, which I later saw in action. What are you proud of? The overall outcome. It was the first project of its kind, and not many people believed in it, i.e. we would not get the same degree of support as today’s teams. Yet our car was a success, and that paved the way for other teams and other cars. If we’d failed, the project probably wouldn’t have continued. Where did you go when you left school, and which of the skills you learnt in the Azubi Car project do you find most useful? I went to the Czech Technical University after leaving school, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. I wanted to know as much as possible about cars, i.e. to go deeper into the design and production process. The thing I probably appreciated most about the Azubi project was the opportunity to practise communication skills. Communication is a problem for many people, and I can see quite clearly that university students with good communication skills are better off. Another skill I practised on the student car was drawing – it comes in handy today when we make component production drawings.

hrough the eyes T of Jana Siudová Two years have passed since the launch of your Azubi Car – what is the first thing that crosses your mind when you look back at this project? I can’t say which of my recollections is the best; the whole project was a great experience. I always like to tell the story of how it all began. I remember the day when we unveiled our car for the first time, and I had the privilege of sharing its name with the public. I admit I have kept copies of perhaps all the leaflets, magazines, photos etc. relating to that project.

hrough the eyes T of Bohdan Wojnar At the beginning of the Azubi Car project, we did a lot of thinking about how we could best combine theory and practice in the school’s curriculum. The first edition showed that the student car concept was a good direction. The students picked up the idea of producing their own dream car with enthusiasm. The project then clearly improved their technical skills, as well as their preparedness to work in a team and their ability to carry ideas through to solutions. We all know that these skills are one of the key prerequisites for success in technology-oriented disciplines. After the great success of the first edition, there was no doubt that the project would continue. Therefore, I am very pleased that this year we have already seen the third Azubi Car made by our students. Like in the previous years, we have seen this year that enthusiasm, commitment and creativity lead to success and appreciation, and not only in the ŠKODA AUTO context but also at international shows. These achievements show our students that they can use the skills adopted through the Azubi Car project in their further education and their future professional careers. We all know how many people the automotive industry and technology-oriented industries in general are short of. As one of the Czech Republic’s biggest employers, ŠKODA AUTO needs highly qualified staff members, so the sooner we start training and educating our future employees, the better. That is why I am pleased to see that the students involved in this project are highly motivated and that they are likely to extend the pool of our high-quality staff members in the future. And with the skills they have learnt through this project, the students will find it easier to get their dream jobs. In conclusion, I wish to thank not only all the students participating in the Azubi Car projects so far but also their teachers and all employees of our Apprenticeship Centre for supporting the students and always showing them the right way. My thanks also go to the various departments involved in this project. I believe that this cooperation across the company will lead to many exciting student cars in the future. I can’t wait to see the next one.

hrough the eyes T of Patrik Havel What are you proud of? Perhaps that we managed to complete the CitiJet project, despite all the worries. And mainly that the car was a big success. What I am particularly proud of is all the praise and admiration I received from my family.

What are you proud of? Our whole team and the way we coped with this challenge in such a short period of time. It wasn’t simple to make so many changes within such a short time. For example, the Targa arc made up of 17 parts took a long time to produce.

If you were to build the Azubi Car today, is there anything you or your team would do better this time? I am sure that everybody comes up with many new improvement ideas over time, knowing what could have been done better and how. Yet I am still happy with the outcome, and I still like this car.

Where did you go when you left school, and which of the skills you learnt in the Azubi Car project do you find most useful? I wanted to go to university, but I didn’t have enough money to make ends meet, so I decided to go to work and study part-time. My plan is to get further education and find a job I will enjoy doing. I’d like to make use of my team management skills. I liked that part of the project. I have gained loads of experience interacting with people and presenting things publicly, and I am very grateful for this opportunity.

Where did you go when you left school, and which of the skills you learnt in the Azubi Car project do you find most useful? I am taking a matriculation course now, so I haven’t used many of my new skills so far, but I certainly appreciate the opportunity to have worked in a team. Agreeing on things in a team this big is not easy, and you learn to realise that you are not always right, and not everything can be done the way you think best.

Azubi cars 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2016 citijet/funstar/atero

8 Azubi Cars

ŠKODA

Funstar W

ill it be better than the ŠKODA CitiJet? The students’ position at the beginning of the second edition of the Azubi Car project was not easy. Expectations were high, and the general tendency to compare the new project edition

with the first one was obvious. Yet the students coped impressively with this challenge: Their Funstar was bold, unique, playful and breathtaking, and it was way different from the ŠKODA CitiJet. The ŠKODA Funstar pick-up featured metallic paints: Steel Grey and Moon White. To create a strong contrast, the door sills, radiator grille frame and rear spoiler were green (Reflex). Like in the CitiJet, the students used unique LED lights under the protective side strips. LED technology

was also used in the headlights and taillights. Bold concept car...unconventional pick-up... cool sports car – the journalists invited to the media road tests taking place in MeetFactory in Prague had only words of praise for the car. Experts from France, Germany, Austria etc. agreed that this Fabia pick-up looked really great, and they appreciated the 18-inch Gemini wheels “borrowed” from the Octavia RS and, like in the CitiJet, the sportstuned interior, including the designer steering wheel.

Moreover, the students also did enormously well on the audio side. In Wörthersee, the impossibleto-miss Funstar not only enjoyed high visibility but, thanks to its 1,400W sound system, also did not go unheard. The Wörthersee event was not the only occasion where people could hear (about) this car. The ŠKODA Funstar became a hit across all social networks, and the Azubi Car was named the Best HR Project of the Year 2015 by the Employers Club. People liked this car a great deal, and it became a real star in the end!

n o i t i d e d n 2 A Funstar Model: ŠKOD Year: 2015 tudents: Number of s 2

Through the eyes of Michael Oeljeklaus This enormously interesting project gives our students a great opportunity to demonstrate their skills, and I am so pleased to see how much energy they put into it! We in Production endeavour to encourage them to go for new, innovative solutions – there are no limits to creativity. The most important thing is that they get right to the core and can try out everything, which gives them a lot of hands-on experience. Personally, I am often surprised, in the good sense of the word, by the ideas they come up with. I believe it is highly important for every student to find their own task to work on, e.g. some become responsible for the electrical system, others for the lighting, etc. In this way, the students can choose their future areas of focus and decide in which of ŠKODA AUTO’s departments they would like to work one day. Everybody can find out what they like most. Moreover, the students work as a team, so they have to learn how to cooperate, accept criticism from others, appreciate other people’s ideas, etc. One day, they will make use of all these skills in their work. The automotive industry is going to go through major changes in the coming years, and we have to be prepared to offer innovative solutions, so it is very positive that our students start thinking about how to produce the best possible car while they are still in school. This project requires them to respond to comments from Board Members and the various departments involved. My message for the students who have taken part in the three Azubi Car editions so far is this: You have done a cracking job! Your cars were a success, mainly because you were not afraid to come up with new ideas. And this is the only thing I wish to tell their successors: Be courageous; we will support your creativity! Take the best from previous editions, and surprise us with something new!

finitely “This pick-up de ainly looks stylish, m ey thanks to the gr s from colour that come We the Octavia RS. icated like the sophist r’s design of the ca and the diode taillights that is sharpened front at of different from th ia.” the standard Fab Auto.cz

22. 7. 2015

Through the eyes of David Hloušek More than one year has passed since your Azubi Car project – what are your best recollections? The day when we completed our work and the car was to be handed over for a photo session. And also the day of the car’s premiere. We presented it to a group of journalists, gave various interviews to magazines, etc. Would you go for a thing like that again? Without hesitation. I have many lovely memories of that project, and it has given me loads of experience, too. One of the walls in my room is completely covered in photos relating to the Funstar project. It’s almost incredible how many places I got to see and how much new knowledge I gained! I attended a management conference in Brno, where I saw models whose production launch is scheduled for 2018. I presented the car onstage during the Girls Day in Liberec, drove it onto the podium at the Young Designer show and went to many other events that I will never forget. What do you believe is the greatest benefit of this project? This project has definitely improved my presentation skills a great deal. Two years ago, I was too shy to raise my hand in the classroom. Today, I take a microphone, launch a presentation and speak to hundreds of people, including in a foreign language, if necessary. Generally, the main benefit lies in being part of a team and also in being directly involved in designing and producing a new car and all the work around that – presentations, parts procurement, etc. I’d like to work in ŠKODA AUTO Logistics, where I am sure I could make use of this experience.

hrough the eyes T of Patrik Zuzánek More than one year has passed since your Azubi Car project – what are your best recollections? That’s difficult to say; the whole project was great. If I had to highlight one thing, it would perhaps be the public presentations. I did not expect our car to be this successful. It was lovely to see that people like the Funstar.

hrough the eyes T of Lucie Klímová More than one year has passed since your Azubi Car project – what are your best recollections? Presenting the Funstar and its music system for the first time. That was a great experience! I still remember the gooseflesh I got! And I have pleasant memories of all the positive responses. Would you go for a thing like that again? I definitely would. With all the experience I gained through that project, I would be more of an asset for the team this time. We would avoid some mistakes and also skip things that are just a waste of time. Did you follow this year’s Azubi Car, the third edition? Were you ever tempted to give advice to your successors? I had one meeting with this year’s students. My colleague and I gave them a few tips as to what they should avoid. And I saw their first draft designs.

hrough the eyes T of Tereza Peluhová Did you follow this year’s Azubi Car, the third edition? Were you ever tempted to give advice to your successors? Yes, I did, and I still do, in fact. I would have loved to share some advice with them, but I decided to leave it all up to them. I just looked forward to the new ideas and concepts they were about to come up with.

What do you believe is the biggest benefit of this project? The students get an opportunity to try something they cannot try anywhere else. They can demonstrate their skills through creative work and learn new things. And, most importantly, they can design a new car completely in line with their ideas. By representing the school, the project helps find new potential students, so there are benefits on both sides: for students, as well as for the school.

What do you believe is the biggest benefit of this project? Students are given an opportunity to produce their own car, one they design themselves. They can learn a lot from designers and other specialists involved in this project. On the other hand, these people can get useful information from the students regarding what they believe a car for youngsters should look like.

How did the project help you? Perhaps in finding your dream job? This project has definitely improved my presentation skills. I have used know-how arising from the Funstar project in some of my school papers. My plan is to carry on studying, and then I’d like to make use of this know-how also in my future work, one way or another.

How did the project help you? Perhaps in finding your dream job? I was part of a team, and this teamwork experience may come in handy in my future job. The most important thing in this project was to pull together and accomplish our shared goal.

10 Azubi Cars

ŠKODA

atero

ggressive, modern....and the youngest. Yet this vehicle does not lag behind its older colleagues in any respect; far from it. The third student car simply could not afford any failures, and the students worked hard to do things right – they spent an incredible 1,300 hours on the ŠKODA Atero! More than 4 metres long, this coupé is based on the Rapid Spaceback. The redesign work was even more extensive than in the previous two ve-

n o i t i d e d 3r A Atero Model: ŠKOD Year: 2015 tudents: Number of s

hrough T the eyes of Lukáš Janeček What did you like most about your work on the Azubi Car? As a car mechanic, I enjoyed the final assembly process a great deal, of course. You start with a bare body and go step by step, i.e. mount the engine, the axles, etc., then the various accessories and the interior, and then suddenly the result of tens of hours of your work is in front of you. That feeling is absolutely great and well worth all the hard work. Is there anything you would do differently today? Yes. We chose colours that we could not use at the end of the day, so we made a change that many team members would have done differently, but, unfortunately, we simply did not have enough time. The problem was that we’d used the Octavia RS bonnet in the drawings, and then the colour transitions on the bodywork bends did not really fit. Anyway, I don’t think the final colour design has spoiled the car; it is still the best! What would be your advice for students working on the next Azubi Car? They should do all things carefully and as soon as possible. The time for designing and producing the car is short, so everything needs to be done quickly. I hope they build a real dream car, just like we did, gain loads of experience and have lots of fun.

hrough T the eyes of Klára Podzimková What did you like most about your work on the Azubi Car? Our team. It is really great. I have made many new friends, and the best thing about all this is that we managed to create something we can be proud of. Where do you believe the Azubi Car will help you most in the future? Communication and presentation skills. This project has been a great experience. What would be your advice for students working on the next Azubi Car? Go for it! Stand up for what you like, and do not let others talk you out of your dream ideas. This is your car, your choice and your work! Good luck … mainly in choosing the car’s name!

hrough T the eyes of Josef Rejzek What did you like most about your work on the Azubi Car? We managed to reach agreement as a team. And personally, I enjoyed the paint shop part, because I am a painter. But what really got me was the car’s sound! Where do you believe the Azubi Car will help you most in the future? It has helped me already. The experience is priceless. I can improve my skills in my area of expertise, and, most importantly, I enjoy that. The project has also helped me on the teamwork side: One learns to accept other people’s opinions and work together as a team. What would be your advice for students working on the next Azubi Car? The main thing is not to give up but to reach the finish line successfully.

hicles, but the result is definitely worth it. The students did loads of work on the car’s roof: The Atero’s roofline starts sloping sooner than that of the conventional model, so they had to change the inclination of the C pillars and relocate the B pillars plus change the door size accordingly. The bonnet has been fitted with ventilation apertures. Major changes have also been made to the rear part. The tailgate features a red spoiler

to underscore the car’s “hellish” and dynamic look. Elegant red decorations have been used on the front as well, and the backlighting is red. The 18-inch wheels have been “borrowed” from the Octavia RS. Like in the previous editions, the students paid special attention to the Atero’s sound system: The 1,800W, 14-speaker set is the perfect fit for the black, dominant-looking car.

The number of team members was nearly 30 this year. As usual, the students consulted experts in Production, Development and other divisions. Journalists had only words of praise for the car after the media road tests, agreeing that the car would be a competitive product if marketed. It is pretty certain that the Atero will become one of the milestones in the Azubi Car’s history and will pose a big challenge for students in the project’s editions to come.

“It is quite r likely that thei dream car would be a competitive product if marketed.” Týden.cz

23. 6. 2016

hrough T the eyes of Bernhard Maier

hrough T the eyes of Daniel Voce hrough T the eyes of Jana Bergmanová Are you happy with this year’s result? More than that. The bar was high, but I daresay we have even raised it for the next editions of the project. The car is aggressive, elegant and sporty at the same time ... we are all thrilled to bits! Where do you believe the Azubi Car will help you most in the future? This project has been a great experience. We met and interacted with many important people across a number of areas, including Design, Development, Production, Sales, Motorsport, etc. I have substantially improved my presentation and communication skills and got rid of stage fright when presenting things. What would be your advice for students working on the next Azubi Car? Don’t waste time, and make sure your communication is OK. In my opinion, good communication is one of the key aspects in building this kind of car.

What did you like most about your work on the Azubi Car? Meeting new people, gaining new knowhow from schoolmates specialising in other subjects, solving problems, etc. The project has given me a lot, but the best thing was to work as a team. Our team was perfect... no, our team IS perfect! Where do you believe the Azubi Car will help you most in the future? I have made many new contacts, both schoolmates and ŠKODA AUTO employees. Other substantial benefits include great teamwork experience and significantly improved communication and presentation skills. What would be your advice for students working on the next Azubi Car? I wish them good luck. My only advice would perhaps be this: Work as a team right from the start, get to know each other well, become friends, and then stay focused on accomplishing your goal!

It was great to see the enthusiasm, skills and energy of all the project participants. The Atero is fantastic, an emotion-packed coupé. Every detail radiates with a passion for cars and for our brand. The vehicle demonstrates ŠKODA’s competence and its future potential. Like the CitiJet and the Funstar, the Atero shows that our education and training system is highly professional, extensive and practice-oriented. I appreciate that the students interacted with Technological Development, Design and Production during this project. The Azubi Car can be seen as a good example throughout our company. I believe that ŠKODA should proactively support similar interactions across our team and all age groups. Professionals show young “hawks” the right directions and provide them with technical know-how. On the other hand, the students can give us “old sweats” new impulses, as their thinking is unbiased, free from everyday routines... simply different. And that is the side where we may learn a lesson or two. ŠKODA and the entire automotive industry are facing big changes, particularly in connection with “megatrends” such as electric mobility, digitisation, connectivity and autonomous driving. All these trends pose new challenges, as well as promising business opportunities, and we need to be able to take modern approaches to our customers’ new requirements, respond quickly and come up with effective solutions. To accomplish this goal, we need top-class experts, fresh thinking and new ideas. I highly appreciated the open, constructive discussion around the ŠKODA Azubi Car project – I see it as a solid foundation for our future success. We at ŠKODA AUTO consider first-class education and training enormously important. Properly qualified colleagues are the key to our success. Today, this is true more than ever before. I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to meet our young successors and follow the progress of the third edition of the Azubi Car. I will always highly appreciate projects like this one!

12 Azubi Cars

High motivation, high responsibility The Azubi Car project gives students a unique opportunity to get familiar with all aspects of their future work through handson experience. Every similarly oriented school offers theoretical and practical courses designed to provide important skills and know-how, but the Azubi Car takes students much farther. The project is highly motivating for all participants, but it involves high responsibility, too. The car is a fully fledged product, and the students have to think about its functionality, producibility, design and practical sides, as well as teamwork. It is enormously interesting to see the students at the point of starting the project and then watch their personal development as the project progresses, until the final presentation. My congratulations go to the students, as well as their teachers, because all of the project editions so far have produced very good and unique cars. And just like our series-production vehicles, each of these cars reflects the shape ŠKODA is in, as well as the character of the brand’s team. Jozef Kabaň, ŠKODA AUTO Chief Designer

Azubi Car media response CitiJet (2014)

“Cool showcar.” “A cheeky city convertible has arrived.” Autohaus.de Speedheads.de “The dream of Czech (sports- “CitiJet ... a looker comes to Wörthersee.” oriented) drivers has come true!” Autosprint.ch autoweb.cz

Funstar (2015) “School is fun.” Autozeitung.de

“The Funstar plays a game of colours... a pretty loud one!” Auto.idnes.cz

“New ŠKODA Fabia as a pick-up? Yes, even that is possible.” Autorevue.cz

Atero (2016) “Stylish piece.” Online focus

“Does Batman drive a Czech car now?” Auto.de

“ŠKODA Atero is a racy and fast coupé.” Auto car news

“Atero: Student coupé looks “Rapid coupé is back. Wilder good and sounds good ... and is the one-and-only of its kind.” than you would expect.” Novinky.cz Autoforum.cz

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“Schola Ludus.” Svět motorů