In EV maintenance settings, understanding high-voltage systems and battery diagnostic capabilities are required, which differ from those of internal combustion engine vehicles. This is why Mercedes-Benz Korea has revamped its training system to align with changes in maintenance technology, having cultivated approximately 500 specialized automotive maintenance professionals over the past 20 years.
At the Mercedes-Benz Training Academy in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, visited on the 29th, training on EV high-voltage systems and vehicle diagnostics was underway. Maintenance training is structured in stages according to proficiency levels, ranging from basic high-voltage safety to system diagnostics, work in high-voltage environments, and battery evaluation and repair. This follows the increasing complexity of maintenance technology due to vehicle electrification, which has made it important to possess capabilities not only for mechanical parts but also for electrical and electronic systems and batteries.
A tour of the academy revealed that training does not remain confined to classrooms. A technical education hall, an EV high-voltage education hall, a virtual education studio, and vocational education spaces are all located in one place, enabling a progression from theoretical instruction to hands-on vehicle diagnostics and maintenance practice. The EV curriculum is structured in stages, covering everything from basic high-voltage safety to system diagnostics, battery evaluation, and repair. Changes in the maintenance field, which now require handling electronic controls, high voltage, and battery condition in addition to mechanical maintenance, are reflected in the training spaces.
Mercedes-Benz Korea launched AMT (Automotive Mechatronic Traineeship), a specialized automotive maintenance personnel development program, in 2006. Subsequently, to strengthen EV maintenance training, the program was revamped into AET (Automotive Electric Traineeship) in 2022. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the maintenance personnel development program that has continued from AMT to AET. The cumulative number of specialized maintenance professionals trained through AMT, AET, and the German-style vocational education program Ausbildung is approximately 500.
Ausbildung is a work-study program that combines on-site practical experience at companies with university education. Introduced in South Korea in 2017, it welcomed its 10th cohort of trainees this year. Trainees gain on-site practical skills at official partner companies while completing university coursework. AET trainees are also building specialized maintenance knowledge and on-site response capabilities through theory, practice, and evaluation.
Mercedes-Benz provides training not only for maintenance personnel but also for more than 5,000 employees working in the domestic official network through its Training Academy. After relocating and opening the Training Academy in Yongin in 2015, it equipped facilities such as a technical education hall, an EV high-voltage education hall, and a virtual education studio. The annual training operation scale is approximately 18,000 people. In addition, Mercedes-Benz conducts job-related training across all customer touchpoints, including sales, customer service, bodywork, painting, and parts.
A Mercedes-Benz Korea official stated, "The more automotive technology moves toward electrification and digitalization, the more the expertise of maintenance personnel impacts vehicle safety and service quality," adding, "We are focusing on expanding the scope of training to include EV battery evaluation and repair, and enhancing the capabilities of the official service network."
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