I visited the Mercedes-Benz KCC Geumcheon Service Center in Seoul on the 26th to meet Jung Joo-hyun (27), the first graduate of the AET program. The shy young man warmly welcomed the reporter who came for the interview.
The AET (Automotive Electric Traineeship) program is a specialized mechanic training program that adds electric vehicle maintenance education to the AMT (Automotive Mechatronic Traineeship) program, which has been operated by Mercedes-Benz Korea since 2006. It has been implemented since 2022 and is the first year to produce graduates, with Jung Joo-hyun being the top graduate from the KCC Geumcheon Service Center.
I wondered what motivated him to apply for the AET program.
“I joined the KCC Geumcheon Service Center in 2021, and less than a year after joining, I learned about the AET program and applied for it. Typically, students apply before employment, but employees already working at the service center were also eligible to apply.”
Jung Joo-hyun explained the advantages of the AET program.
“The training course is longer and more differentiated than regular technician education. You can obtain Mercedes-Benz maintenance qualifications faster than the standard route. Simply put, it’s like receiving the training that mechanics with 6-7 years of experience would get, all at once through the AET program. It’s a program that greatly benefits mechanics in proportion to how hard they work. What’s more, unlike the previous AMT program, completing the AET course successfully qualifies you for electric vehicle maintenance. Additionally, the training is conducted in small groups separated from the field, allowing for specialized learning. I was able to learn the latest information that is not available in the field.”
I wondered if Jung had encountered any challenges in the AET program. He responded, with emphasis on his studies in electricity.
“Everything was generally difficult. However, studying electricity was the hardest part. Cars have electrical systems too. But there’s a difference between someone who studies electricity professionally and what I had learned, so the electrical part was the toughest for me.”
Currently, Jung Joo-hyun works at the Geumcheon Service Center in the Quick Shop section, where he provides customers with consumable exchange services. He manages to inspect 5-6 vehicles per day on his own. He recounted a memorable experience while inspecting customer vehicles. “One vehicle that came in had windows that wouldn’t go all the way down. I thought it could be an issue with the window switch or various electrical problems. The feeling of the button push felt strange, and when I looked at the window gap, there was a small pebble stuck in it. I made an accurate diagnosis and completed the service.”
He spoke about the challenges he faces as a mechanic. The Geumcheon Service Center, where he works, is relatively busy within the KCC network for vehicle service processing. “I always work under time pressure. If I feel rushed, it can lead to serious mistakes or injuries. While I am under pressure, I always try to remain calm.”
Jung has a lot of ambition as a technician. He even participated in the ‘Tech Master’ competition organized by Mercedes-Benz Korea, which selects the top technicians from all the directly operated service centers nationwide. Last year’s Tech Master saw 969 applicants. Jung qualified for the main event, placing within the top 40. “The finalists are all highly skilled. The maintenance management area I applied for had relatively fewer applicants. In the maintenance section, when a customer’s vehicle arrives, I check the vehicle, accurately identify any strange issues, and write down my findings for any suspected faults.”
With advances in vehicle digitalization, situations with unexplained failures have arisen. Jung discusses extensively with senior colleagues on how to tackle these challenges. In cases where solutions are not found, he collaborates and exchanges information with other dealerships, seeking to find resolutions.
He always thinks from the customer’s perspective when performing maintenance. When customers arrive with misunderstandings about vehicle information or those unfamiliar with using basic functions, he makes sure to properly convey the vehicle’s functionalities through his advisors.
As a fourth-year employee and still the youngest in the team, I was curious about his dreams. He expressed ambitions, saying, “I want to be a person who contributes positively to the company.” With aspirations as the top graduate of the AET and as a finalist in the Tech Master competition, Jung Joo-hyun’s future feels promising.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr