Hyundai World Skill Olympics in Seoul: How to Become the Best Service Expert
Informburo.kz, together with Astana Motors, looked into the process of professional training for technicians of one of the world’s leading car maker.
Autumn 2021 has been an eventful season for Astana Motors: new car model launches, market entry of a car brand new for Kazakhstan, the Machine Builder Day and the Motorist Day, the birthday of Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan, and Hyundai World Skill Olympics in South Korea.
Just to remind, Astana Motors comprises Hyundai Auto Kazakhstan, an official distributor with a dealer network of 21 auto centers in Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Aktobe, Aktau, Atyrau, Karaganda, Kostanay, Kyzylorda, Pavlodar, Petropavlovsk, Uralsk, Ust-Kamenogosk, Shymkent, Taldykorgan, Kokshetau, Semey and Taraz.
Yegor Zaviyalov, a technician at one of the centers, has ranked among the top five specialists of CIS dealerships, and will take part in the Skill Olympics to be held in October 2021 in Seoul.
Informburo.kz investigated into what it feels like to practice one of today’s most demanded professions.
In May 2021, 386 specialists from 149 Hyundai CIS dealer centers came to Moscow to participate in the Eighth Regional Skill Olympics.
Representatives of Hyundai Auto Kazakhstan, Olympics finalists from Kazakhstan, a representative of the organizers, Moscow
Our country was represented by technicians Yegor Zaviyalov from Hyundai Center Pavlodar and Grigory Mintyan from Hyundai Center Semey.
The young professionals who had occupied the first and second places in the qualification among 56 Kazakh mechanics from 20 Hyundai dealerships went to Russia to represent Kazakhstan at the regional Olympics.
In Moscow, Yegor and Grigory were among 40 best technicians from Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan who made it to the finals.
The finalists’ outstanding performance in Moscow was awarded with memorable gifts from the Hyundai Motor CIS HQ. Hyundai Auto Kazakhstan also rewarded its employees — Grigory received a cash prize of KZT 500,000, and Yegor got a certificate for a seven-day tour for two to Egypt. Yegor Zaviyalov also won the honorable right to represent our country at the World Skill Olympics in South Korea, which Hyundai Motor Company, one of the world’s largest car makers, holds every two years. Yegor’s preparation for the Olympics is now in full swing.
Yegor Zaviyalov, a technician at Hyundai Center Pavlodar, had received vocational education in information technologies. He later chose to cast his lot with the automobile business as he saw good development opportunities in this sphere. He has been practicing the profession for eight years. After working in two car shops in Pavlodar, Yegor was selected for a vacancy in Hyundai Center Pavlodar.
Grigory Mintyan, a technician at Hyundai Center Semey, has been in the profession for more than 15 years. He has been with Hyundai since the opening of the dealer center.
Hyundai Premium Almaty dealership. Left to right: Yegor Zaviyalov, Gennady Tsoi, Grigory Mintyan, Almaty/ Photo by Almaz Toleke
Back in Kazakhstan, Yegor and Grigory were pleasantly surprised to have a tour to Almaty organized by Astana Motors and Hyundai Auto Kazakhstan specially for their colleagues from Pavlodar and Semey. Head of the training center Gennady Tsoi, a certified Hyundai training manager and tutor of Hyundai technicians throughout Kazakhstan, acted as their personal guide.
Tour to Almaty for Hyundai dealership personnel – Skill Olympics finalists, Moscow / Video courtesy of the partner.
The first destination of the tight tour program was Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan. This car manufacturing plant was the main facility that Yegor and Grigory wished to visit in Almaty.
Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan plant. Left to right: Grigory Mintyan, Yegor Zaviyalov, Gennady Tsoi, Maxim Tarassov, Director of the plant, Almaty/ Photo by Almaz Toleke
In October, Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan will celebrate its first anniversary. The plant has been running at full capacity since 15 October 2020 when the shops of welding, painting, assembly, painting of plastic parts, and a warehouse for components were officially launched. Since its technical opening, the plant has produced over 25,000 cars.
Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan, painting shop, Almaty
Preparation of the car body for painting at the cataphoresis line, where the future model comes from the welding shop, is one of the most impressive stages of the car-making process.
At Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan, Yegor and Grigory watched with their own eyes the manufacturing of Hyundai cars they would later service in their auto centers.
Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan, cataphoresis line, Almaty/ Photo by Almaz Toleke
Strict compliance with all the processes is the golden rule of any business. It takes serious team work. To make the car quality compliant with Hyundai’s international standards, the technical experts of Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan accurately follow the process operations approved by Hyundai Motor Company at each production stage.
The key to any company’s success lies in the competencies of its personnel. Astana Motors and Hyundai Auto Kazakhstan pay much attention to professional development of their employees, with a special focus on blue-collar and technical staff.
Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan, practice in the Hyundai Training Center, Almaty
Gennady Tsoi, Head of Kazakhstan’s Hyundai Training Center, says the company personnel have been trained permanently since 2004. Since February 2019, training has been based on the online platform of Hyundai Training Academy in Moscow — Learning Management System (LMS).
“An employee of a Hyundai dealer center signs up and gets access to the LMS training system of Hyundai Academy in Moscow. Depending on the employee’s position, LMS will offer them the relevant training program on three levels: Level 1 (Basic), Level 2 (Expert), Level 3 (Master). The curriculum includes e-courses and webinars. The Academy also offers in-person training.
Classes are held by Russian and Kazakh instructors who have certification from Hyundai Motor Company, and by invited business coaches from CIS and Europe.”
The main task of the training center is to develop, train and improve the skills of Hyundai dealership personnel. Today, about 600 employees of Hyundai’s dealer network in Kazakhstan are taking courses in the center.
Hyundai Premium Almaty, service center, Almaty/ Photo by Almaz Toleke
International record of Hyundai Auto Kazakhstan technicians
- 2013 — Sergei Tupichenko, an electrical diagnostic technician from Hyundai Auto Almaty, wins a bronze medal in the Automatic Transmissions category at the World Skill Olympics in South Korea
- 2015 — Leonid Bazan, an electrical diagnostic technician from Hyundai Auto Astana, Nur-Sultan, ranks in the top twenty technicians at the World Skill Olympics in South Korea
- 2019 — Sergei Sokolov, a IV-grade auto mechanic from Hyundai Auto Almaty, is a finalist of the 7th Hyundai Skill Olympics in Russia and the CIS.
“I learned about the Skill Olympics after Hyundai Center Semey was opened. I was keen to have a shot,” Grigory says. “We had eight tasks to fulfill on cars with real failures. What we were to do was not to repair them but to describe the troubleshooting logic. We also had tasks relating to certain car components and diagnostics of electronic equipment. Frankly, these things were not easy for me, because usually I deal with mechanic work on the engines. On the other hand, there is room for improvement.”
“I decided to test my skills acquired in years of practice by competing with the Olympics participants from other countries. The selection was held in two stages: a theoretical test and an online exam with leading CIS experts who assessed our knowledge and capabilities. The tasks were complicated but very exciting,” Yegor says.
Hyundai Premium Almaty, service center, Almaty/ Photo by Almaz Toleke
“We are realistic about our strengths and capabilities, and we did not doubt that our young colleagues would succeed at the Olympics in Moscow. Such world-class competitions give us new perspectives for professional growth of our specialists, and we develop and pump them up,” says Gennady Tsoi.
Yegor Zaviyalov is now being trained online for the World Olympics in South Korea. Tutors from Hyundai Training Academy in Moscow and Hyundai Training Center in Almaty are giving him a hand at that. “The Seoul Olympics will show the professional level of participants from other countries, and will give me an opportunity to assess my own potential,” Yegor says.
Grigory Mintyan, Yegor Zaviyalov, Hyundai Training Center, Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan, Almaty/ Photo by Almaz Toleke
Apart from getting prepared for this challenging mission, Yegor devotes his time to his favorite occupation. His main focus is on maintenance, repair and upgrade of cars.
Grigory Mintyan is “a cardiologist” of the dealer center, as he works with the heart of the car — the engine.
Both specialists regard discipline and the quality of service as a priority in their work.
Defect to Zero — such is the slogan of Hyundai car-making plants. The brand’s service standard is Right Care Right Here. “When a client comes to our service center, our task is to offer help promptly, with proper quality, and at a high level,” Gennady Tsoi says.
Hyundai Premium Almaty, Almaty/ Photo by Almaz Toleke
In this way, Hyundai technicians throughout Kazakhstan acquire new valuable knowledge, develop professionally, and rise to the level of the world’s leading experts. “I believe that the knowledge I have gained at Hyundai gives me all the chances to compete even at the world level. The working conditions in the company are very comfortable for realizing one’s potential,” Yegor Zaviyalov says.
“I am very much impressed that the company encourages people to improve their professional skills. It motivates us to go the extra mile and keep growing. It is not just the technical part that I am learning. I am interested in all that concerns Hyundai,” says Grigory Mintyan.
This is how Gennady Tsoi, head of the training center, replied to the question about the qualities that a Hyundai technician must possess: “The training standards at Hyundai Motor Company are the same globally, and the requirements are very high. The main thing you need to meet these requirements is to really wish it, and to work much and hard. Of great importance are also the specialist’s personal qualities, learning abilities, open-mindedness, eagerness to develop and constantly raise the bar. Our employees are very well prepared. I am happy that our training center helps young people master their trade, practice their favorite occupation, and grow professionally. We take pride in Kazakhstan’s Hyundai team, and we wish Yegor Zaviyalov a victory at Hyundai World Skill Olympics in South Korea. We keep our fingers crossed!”
Source: informburo.kz