29 January 2026, Nuenen, the Netherlands — On 21 and 22 January 2026, representatives from eight leading vocational education institutions participated in the International Inspiration Day for Automotive Vocational Education, an event organised by Electude with the support of ANFA, the National Association for Automotive Training in France, and GARAC, France’s national school for automotive and mobility professions.
We were delighted to welcome presidents, directors, and heads of departments from: Formation en Alternance aux Métiers de l’Automobile – AFORPA (France), Groupement d’Apprentissage de la Réparation Automobile et du Cycle – GARAC (France), Institut National du Cycle et du Motocycle – INCM (France), Technical Education Copenhagen – TEC (Denmark), The Manchester College (United Kingdom), Lincoln Tech (United States), Mobipolis (France) and National Automotive and Vehicles Academy – NAVA (Saudi Arabia). Representatives from the Ministère de l’Éducation (Ministry of Education) and Cnam (National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts) also joined the event.
Across both days, participants explored the future of automotive education, sharing ideas, experiences, and practical approaches. The programme combined campus visits with presentations, discussions, and plenty of opportunities for meaningful exchange.
Day 1: GARAC campus and speech by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in France
The first day opened at GARAC’s campus, where Jeroen Smetsers (Product Manager at Electude) and Daniel Perry (Customer Success Manager at Electude) presented how educators can support students through every phase of the learning journey, with a focus on EV technology. Participants also had the chance to see students practising with Electude’s software and hardware, demonstrating hands-on learning in action.
Next, Xavier Senecal, Director of Studies at GARAC, guided the group through the campus in Argenteuil, home to 17,000 m² of workshops available to learners.
In the evening, the group travelled to central Paris for a visit to l’Hôtel d’Avaray, the residence of the Ambassador of the Netherlands. Participants enjoyed refreshments in this historic setting and met H.E. Mr. Jan Versteeg, who delivered a memorable speech highlighting the strong tradition of cooperation between the Netherlands and France in vocational education and the importance of international dialogue.
Emphasising the rapid transformation of the automotive sector through technological change, electrification, and sustainability, the speech stressed the need for vocational education that is adaptive, future-oriented, and closely connected to industry.
In this context, organisations such as Electude International play an important role. By developing innovative learning solutions and working closely with both educational institutions and industry partners, they help ensure that vocational education remains relevant, engaging, and aligned with real-world practice. Their international outlook also helps connect classrooms to global developments in the automotive sector.
H.E. Mr. Jan Versteeg — Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in France
Day 2: ANFA, Presentations, and Panel Discussions
On day two, ANFA hosted all participants in its Automotive Campus in Guyancourt, a centre of excellence dedicated to creating and updating training systems, supporting training institutions, and promoting training in automotive services in France.
Following a video presentation and an introduction to ANFA by Executive Director Guillaume Faurie, the eight schools were presented through short videos and a Q&A session. The programme then continued with six presentations:
- “Battery Maintenance Training in the Automotive Sector”, by Patrice Mouly (Head of Department at ANFA)
- “International Education and Student Mobility”, by Magali Menage (Mobility Coordinator at AFORPA)
- “Technical Contests and Partnerships with Motorcycle Brands”, by Thomas Prost (Head of Motorcycle Program at INCM)
- “Piloting the Green Transition”, by Per Nørregaard (Head of Education at TEC) and Christina Søndergaard (Project Manager & Digitalisation Consultant at TEC)
- “Engaging Learners – And Keeping Them Engaged”, by Ian Byrne (Head of Quality at The Manchester College)
- “Transformation of Curriculum Delivery”, by Chad Nyce (Executive Vice President and COO at Lincoln Tech)
The discussion continued with a panel moderated by Patrice Mouly, featuring:
- Assia Rosais (Head of Apprenticeships at Mobipolis)
- Gina Zaffino (Senior Vice President of Education at Lincoln Tech)
- Mark Harris (Vice Principal at The Manchester College)
- Mohammed Alsuhaim (Managing Director at NAVA)
- Per Nørregaard (Head of Education at TEC)
Panellists shared practical insights from vocational education—covering challenges, lessons learned, success stories, and the realities of implementing change to achieve results.
The morning concluded with a presentation by Peter Nientker, CEO & CCO at Electude, on Mastery Learning and the efficacy of vocational education. After lunch, participants toured ANFA’s campus with Assia Rosais and Tatiana Ossipoff (Director of AFORPA Guyancourt).
Back in the auditorium, Electude welcomed Alexis Barrouquere-Theil, WorldSkills France Champion 2023 and EuroSkills 2025 bronze medallist in Truck & Bus Technology. Dimitri Ogg, Commercial Director of EMEA, LATAM & Asia at Electude, gifted Alexis with a can of stroopwafels – a delicious Dutch souvenir – and an Electude pin, the most coveted pin at EuroSkills Herning.
All participants received their own pins, bringing the event to a warm close.
Looking Back and Ahead
“This is the third time we’ve organised an International Inspiration Day, which offers schools the chance to exchange with other leading institutions, an opportunity that they cannot easily create themselves”, said Dimitri after the event. “It’s remarkable to see how enthusiastic schools are about Electude solutions, and how even educational institutions that are not using Electude were promoting us”.
The feedback from participants has been nothing but positive so far. Several schools’ representatives, such as Christina Søndergaard (TEC), Doug Fowler (Lincoln Tech), and Mark Harris (The Manchester College), highlighted how valuable it was to discuss shared challenges and learn from others’ experiences and good practices. They also praised Electude’s solutions for supporting teachers and improving learner engagement.
The International Inspiration Day for Automotive Vocational Education 2026 showed the power of bringing educational leaders together to learn from one another and keep pace with a fast-changing automotive industry. We thank all participating institutions and look forward to continuing this international exchange in the years ahead.
