AET 19th, Ausbildung 10th cohorts launch together

140 graduates invited to mark automobile's 140th anniversary

Mercedes-Benz Korea holds a joint launch ceremony for its AET and Ausbildung technician training programs, marking the 20th anniversary of AET and the 10th anniversary of Ausbildung. [Mercedes-Benz Korea]
Mercedes-Benz Korea holds a joint launch ceremony for its AET and Ausbildung technician training programs, marking the 20th anniversary of AET and the 10th anniversary of Ausbildung. [Mercedes-Benz Korea]

Mercedes-Benz Korea held a joint launch ceremony Friday at its Training Academy in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to mark the start of the 19th cohort of its AET program and the 10th cohort of its Ausbildung program, the company announced Monday.

The event celebrated the 20th anniversary of AET and the 10th anniversary of Ausbildung. Mercedes-Benz Korea shared the milestone of having trained about 500 automotive service professionals over the past two decades through the two programs and their predecessor, AMT.

The ceremony brought together 34 AET trainees and 19 Ausbildung trainees, along with 140 alumni specially invited to mark the 140th anniversary of the automobile's invention. About 200 people attended in total, including Kim Na-jeong, executive vice president overseeing network development and the Training Academy at Mercedes-Benz Korea, executives from official Mercedes-Benz partner companies, and representatives from the German Embassy and the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Korea.

Under a "Welcome Home" concept — welcoming back graduates to the academy where they once trained — new trainees and veteran technicians gathered to share their experiences as Mercedes-Benz technicians and strengthen their professional networks.

The program began with a uniform-donning ceremony for the new trainees, followed by a dinner and commemorative activities attended by both current and former technicians.

"Over the past 20 years, Mercedes-Benz Korea's technician training programs have produced about 500 professionals and have continuously evolved to keep pace with changes in automotive technology," Kim said. "We will continue to systematically develop skilled professionals who can respond to the rapidly changing technological landscape, including electrification and digitalization."

Mercedes-Benz Korea launched AMT in 2006 to train automotive service professionals. The company restructured the program into AET in 2022, strengthening its focus on electric vehicle maintenance to keep up with the industry's shift toward electrification and broader technological change.

The 34 AET trainees selected this year are graduates or soon-to-be graduates of automotive-related programs. Upon completing 20 courses and assessments, they will receive AET certification along with credentials as certified systems technicians recognized across the global Mercedes-Benz network.

Ausbildung, introduced in South Korea in 2017 and now in its 10th cohort, is a German-style vocational education program that combines on-the-job training at companies with university coursework. It targets third-year students at specialized high schools majoring in automotive or mechanical fields.

The 19 Ausbildung trainees will join official Mercedes-Benz partner companies and spend three years combining hands-on work experience with a regular university curriculum. Upon completion, they will earn an associate degree from a domestic partner university, a Mercedes-Benz Korea maintenance technician certification, and a certificate from the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry.


eyre@heraldcorp.com