Young Car Mechanic Competition Underway in Riga; Latvia Represented by Kandava Student

Riga is hosting the international Young Car Mechanic competition, where 15 European countries are vying for the title of Europe's best young mechanic. Latvia is represented by Andris Lagzdiņš, a student from Kandavas Lauksaimniecības tehnikums, who won the national final by outperforming other Latvian technical school students.

Participants come from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Serbia, and Bosnia. Last year's winner was Niks Pētersons from Aizkraukles Profesionālā vidusskola.

The tasks cover a wide range: from diagnostics and repair of driver assistance systems, timing belt replacement, brake repair and maintenance, to battery troubleshooting, air conditioning system diagnostics and repair, as well as electric vehicle battery maintenance. Armands Umbraško, a representative of organizer Inter Cars Latvija, noted that winners are often separated by only a few points, and participants need not only technical skills but also psychological resilience.

Andris Lagzdiņš mentioned that he has been passionate about car mechanics since childhood, helping his father in the garage. He believes the competition will help him find a job in the industry, as employers seek specialists who can prove their abilities. Kaspars Ševčuks, a teacher at Kandavas tehnikums, added that even national finalists are often offered jobs at reputable auto repair shops.

The competition aims to promote technical education, motivate young specialists, and raise the prestige of the car mechanic profession. The event is held simultaneously in 15 countries, involving 3,200 participants from 260 educational institutions. The total prize fund is €90,000. The competition in Riga will run until Sunday, July 14.