Péter Őri, a staff member of Széchenyi István University, prepared Bence Tánczos, a student of the Lukács Sándor Automotive and Mechanical Engineering Technical School in Győr, who won a medal of excellence in the Automobile Technology category at the WorldSkills World Championship of the world's best young professionals. A former Hungarian entrant in the competition, who is now a student of the Vehicle Engineering programme at the University, aided him as well.

In mid-September, 1500 competitors from 65 countries around the world competed in 59 different trades in Lyon, France. Hungary was represented by Bence Tánczos from Győr, who finished 11th in a strong field from 35 countries and won a Medal of Excellence. He was coached by Péter Őri, teaching assistant at the Audi Hungaria Faculty of Vehicle Engineering at Széchenyi István University.

"In 2018, Hungary hosted the continental finals of the EuroSkills competition series, and for this occasion we expanded the range of professions in which we compete, including the category of Automobile Technology. A year earlier, I was only an observer at the WorldSkills in Abu Dhabi, but the following year we started competing in the event. Since then, I have been preparing the Hungarian competitors and I am also a member of the jury as an expert at the competitions," said Péter Őri.

Péter Őri, a teaching assistant at Széchenyi István University, who also acts as an expert at WorldSkills competitions, helps talented young people (Photo: András Adorján)

Őri pointed out that Bence Tánczos won the right to compete at the WorldSkills Hungary national selection organised by the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is proud of the fact that Zsolt Ölbei, a Hungarian competitor of the last two years, was also involved in the student’s preparation. "Zsolt was also a student at the Lukács Sándor Automotive and Mechanical Engineering Technical School, and he won a medal of excellence at the WorldSkills the year before last and at the EuroSkills last year as well. Back then, I was aiding him, but now, as a student of our Vehicle Engineering programme at our University, he was also helping this year's competitor before the competition. It was the first time I shared the tasks with someone and I was happy to do it with my former student," he stressed.

The yearlong preparation is a complex task for instructors and students alike, as the competitor must have a wide range of knowledge from engine assembly to mechanical measurements of internal combustion engines and interpretation of circuit diagrams to vehicle communication protocols. In short, they must be able to identify the source of the fault and be able to repair it. "The work is not over yet; we will continue our preparations with our small team from Győr, as Bence also won the EuroSkills national qualifying round, so he will also be interested in the continental finals next September. The eleventh place at WorldSkills also meant fifth place among European countries. Our goal is to do better than that in next year’s competition in Herning, Denmark," said Péter Őri.

He concluded by saying that the WorldSkills series is a great opportunity for students. "I would compare it to participating in the outstanding student teams at Széchenyi University, where young people can gain practical knowledge and experience that will be a huge advantage later on. Anyone who is involved in building a world record-breaking vehicle or who finishes among the best in a world championship in their field is likely to find a place in the job market. And talent management is all about finding and nurturing young people who have big ambitions in life."

Péter Őri and his protégé Bence Tánczos at the WorldSkills Championships in Lyon.