Digital magazines - toptruck - Best apprentice!

Quentin Médard is an apprentice truck mechanic at the G-Truck / TOP TRUCK workshop in Evreux. The gold medallist in the Best Apprentice in France competition at departmental and regional level, here Quentin shares his experience.

Hello Quentin! So, what is your background?

Hello! I joined AAG at the age of 15 as part of my CAP in industrial vehicle maintenance/truck mechanics at AFTRAL. I joined G-Truck/TOP TRUCK in Evreux. I got my CAP after two years. Today, I am finalizing my vocational baccalaureate as an apprentice in the same workshop. In September, I'll be continuing my studies with a BTS Expert Technician apprenticeship. For this apprenticeship, I will remain within AAG, but this time I'm joining the G-Truck/TOP TRUCK workshop in Grand Quevilly (Normandie Accessoires).

Why did you decide to study truck mechanics?

My father is a car mechanic, so mechanics runs in the family. My interest in truck mechanics came later. I had the chance to do an internship at Volvo Trucks in Evreux when I was 14, and from that day on I couldn't see myself doing anything else.

What is the Best Apprentice of France competition?

‘Le Meilleur Apprenti de France’ is an variation of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France competition. The CFA (apprentice training centre) to which I belong offers its best students the chance to take part in this competition. I was lucky enough to be selected by my teachers. This year, the competition at departmental and regional level took place at GARAC.

What are the competition tests?

Each apprentice is assigned a workstation and has to pass seven troubleshooting tests. At the end of the diagnosis, the candidate must answer a questionnaire on the part, its operation, and controls. The topics of the seven tests are: electricity (making a connection and taking measurements); braking; engine metrology (engine dismantling and displacement calculation); charging circuit (taking stock); the start-up circuit (taking stock); identification (fifteen parts to be identified orally and in writing); and technology. During each test, the apprentice is continuously observed by a teacher who scrutinizes every act and gesture.

The objective is to check all aspects of the repair in terms of safety, breakdown interpretation, and workstation cleanliness. This succession of tests is quite stressful. I was taking part in this competition for the first time, unlike other candidates who had already competed two or three times.

What was the result?

I learned that I had been elected the Best Apprentice in France at departmental and regional level the same evening. Note that there may be several joint winners of the gold medal, as long as they have more than a 17/20 average.

What do you remember about this award?

When I chose AAG for my apprenticeship, I chose to be a multi-brand repairer. It's rare for a multi-brand apprentice to win this competition against ‘manufacturer’ apprentices. To be able to demonstrate the complete competence of a multi-brand apprentice is a great source of pride for me. I'm convinced that the expertise of a multi-brand mechanic should be valued: we're faced with different breakdowns every day on vehicles that are designed differently from one another. Our experience is often richer. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank AFTRAL and AAG for the training they've given me. My thanks also go to Fabien Trogon, an apprentice like me, who helped and trained me for this competition after winning the gold medal at national level last year!