The Best Young Mechanic in Croatia Will Represent Us in the Final in Hungary

Last weekend, the first national Young Car Mechanic competition under the auspices of Inter Cars Croatia concluded. Eight students competed for the title of the best young mechanic of 2022 in Croatia.

This year’s title of the best young mechanic of 2022 was awarded to Jan Makarun under the mentorship of Julija Lesjak. The winning duo comes from the Electrical Engineering and Crafts School in Zagreb and he will represent Croatia at the International Final in Hungary.

Second place was secured by Viktor Beligoj, a representative of the Industrial-Craft School from Nova Gradiška, with just one point less, while David Magličić, also a representative of the Electrical Engineering and Crafts School from Zagreb, took third place, with the same number of points as the second-placed Viktor, but a poorer time cost him a better ranking. The tension at the top is evidenced by the 4th place held by Ivan Šobak from the Konjščina High School, with just one point less than the second-placed.

– I am very excited to have won. For me, it is a great award, but also a great opportunity. I believe that winning the national competition will have a huge impact on my career development. I will do everything in my power to represent our country with dignity at the international final – said Jan Makarun, the best young mechanic of 2022 in Croatia.

– It is very important for young people to nurture their passions and develop skills. Inter Cars perfectly understands this and supports us in our daily work to help students develop their careers and professions. How our industry will look largely depends on how we take care of these young people – were just some of the words from the students’ mentor.

First Time in Croatia

Young Car Mechanic is an international competition for young mechanics and mechatronics students from secondary vocational schools. The main goal is to promote a positive image among young people in the automotive mechanic profession, exchange experiences and learning methods, and find young talents in the field of mechanics and automotive services.

This is the first edition of the Young Car Mechanic competition in Croatia. It is an initiative that is mandatory in the event calendar in the industry in certain countries of Inter Cars and attracts young vehicle repair professionals every year to compete for the title of the best young mechanic in the country, and later in Europe.

The slogan ‘Together we create, support, and deliver’ is extremely close to us. The Young Car Mechanic competition is a confirmation of that. Together with our suppliers, leading companies in the automotive industry, we support young mechanics in developing their passions and achieving their dreams.

The organization of the entire competition would not have been possible without the support of our partners who, like Inter Cars, care about the development of youth in the automotive sector. Thus, the strategic partners of the national final are: Bosch, Shell, Continental, FEBI, Man + Hummel, Meyle, Schaeffler, and ZF Aftermarket.

The national final itself was held over two days, during which students solved tasks on 5 modules on the first day and on 3 modules on the second day. The competition was preceded by an introductory part in which the competition partners briefly presented their brand and work task, wishing everyone good luck. In addition to our supplier partners, a brief introductory speech was also given by Petar Kovač from Auto Croatia and Mirko Rugle, CEO of Inter Cars Croatia. 

After the presentations, there was a short lecture on occupational safety and a gradual descent to the auto service area, where the competitors further familiarized themselves with what awaited them on both days of the competition. Throughout both days, the young men diligently and studiously solved their tasks, demonstrating an enviable level of knowledge and experience, listening to the advice of their examiners who enjoyed working with these young professionals.