Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited has announced its first-ever student car project in India. The project, aimed at selected students from the Group Academy’s Dual Vocational Training in Mechatronics programme, involves creating a unique cabriolet version of the Skoda Rapid sedan. This initiative is designed to provide students with hands-on experience in the automotive industry, enabling them to apply their theoretical knowledge in a practical setting.
Promoting Innovation and Nurturing Talent
Piyush Arora, Managing Director, and CEO of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India said that the project reflects the company’s commitment to nurturing talent and promoting innovation in the Indian automotive industry. Such initiatives create opportunities for realizing futuristic ideas by building prototypes with out-of-box thinking without the fear of failure.
Skoda Rapid Cabriolet Interior and Exterior
The Skoda Rapid Cabriolet features various customizations, including an LED lip light, yellow accents along the front bumper, doors, and brake calipers. The standard exhaust has been replaced with a sportier one. However, the most eye-catching feature is the Skoda badge on the bonnet that retracts with the push of a button.
Interior modifications included reworking the car’s interior into a sporty scarlet-red upholstery and adding a touchscreen infotainment unit. One of the challenges of this project was mounting the seatbelts in the absence of B pillars. As a result, the seatbelts are mounted on the seats.
Details of the car’s engine specifications and gearbox have not been released yet, but it is expected to be the same as the regular Skoda Rapid.
Azubi Student Car International Project
Although this is Skoda Auto Volkswagen India’s first Student Car Project, the Azubi Student Car Project is now in its ninth iteration. The Skoda vocational students in Mladá Boleslav have been designing and building their dream car since 2014.
Regularizing the Student Car Program
The Indian Academy is taking steps to regularize the Student Car Program and include it as a project in the student syllabus. The program will involve one cycle of projects every year, and the student selection criteria will reportedly be improved to make it more competitive.
The Academy’s Dual Vocational Training in Mechatronics
The Academy’s Dual Vocational Training in Mechatronics is a flagship program that has been contributing to upskilling 10th-grade school students since 2011. This full-time 3.5-year course, adopted from Germany, focuses on developing talent to take up critical roles.
The Importance of Dual Vocational Training
Dual vocational training is a combination of theory and practical experience, allowing students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world problems. This approach to education has been a proven success in Germany, where it is widespread.
In India, the vocational education sector has been underdeveloped, leading to a shortage of skilled workers in the manufacturing and engineering industries. By implementing dual vocational training programs, companies like Skoda Auto Volkswagen India are filling the skill gap and providing students with the necessary knowledge and experience to enter the workforce.
Conclusion
Skoda Auto Volkswagen India’s first student car project is an exciting initiative that promotes innovation and nurtures talent in the Indian automotive industry. The project allows selected students to gain hands-on experience in the industry, applying their theoretical knowledge to create a unique vehicle.
By regularizing the Student Car Program, the Academy aims to provide students with more opportunities to showcase their skills and make a positive impact in the industry. This initiative, along with the Academy’s Dual Vocational Training in Mechatronics, highlights the importance of vocational education in upskilling students and filling the skill gap in the manufacturing and engineering industries.
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