Strengthening Skills Across Borders: Online Meeting in preparation for the Skills Competition, 2026

Strengthening Skills Across Borders: Online Meeting in preparation for the Skills Competition, 2026

On 13 February, our Erasmus+ innovation project “Good, Better, The Best Car Mechanic” reached another exciting milestone. Representatives from our project team met online with four additional VET schools to coordinate the launch of the first international skills mastery competition built on the innovative theory and practical tasks developed by our team.

This competition will make full use of the bestcarmechanic.eu platform — the key intellectual output of our project — designed to support modern vocational training in the automotive sector through interactive theory questions and practical assignments.

International Collaboration

The online meeting, hosted by our Austrian partner, brought together educators and coordinators from across Europe who share a common goal: raising the quality and attractiveness of vocational automotive education.

The schools joining the competition in Eggenburg, Austria in June 2026 are:

• Střední odborná škola automobilní, informatiky a Gymnázium (Weilovka), Czech Republic
• Zespół Szkół Samochodowych im. inż. Tadeusza Tańskiego, Poland
• ASUC Boro Petrushevski – Skopje, North Macedonia
• Sisli Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi, Istanbul, Türkiye

Their participation highlights the growing international interest in innovative, skills-based learning in the automotive field.

Preparing Through Trial Events

To ensure smooth implementation and high educational value, all partners agreed to organize two system trial events before the final competition.

• March 2026 – Theory Testing

During the second week of March, each participating school will select four of their best students to test the platform. Students will answer 100 randomly generated theory questions provided by the bestcarmechanic.eu system. Temporary platform access will be shared with school coordinators to facilitate this process.

• May 2026 – Theory + Practical Preview

A second trial week in May will expand testing to include practical task stations, giving both students and teachers a preview of the full competition format.

Continuous Improvement Through Feedback

After each trial phase, participating students and teachers will provide structured feedback. Their input will be invaluable in:

• Refining platform features
• Improving user experience
• Correcting any task inaccuracies
• Ensuring clarity and fairness in assessment

This collaborative refinement process ensures that the final competition will be both educationally meaningful and technically robust.

Looking Ahead

The upcoming competition in Eggenburg promises to be more than just a contest — it represents a shared European effort to modernize vocational training, motivate students, and celebrate excellence in automotive skills.

We are proud to see our project evolving from concept to real-world application, bringing together talented students and dedicated educators from across Europe.

Stay tuned for more updates as we move closer to the first Best Car Mechanic international skills competition!

The Project is financed by Erasmus+ program funds.