New Ways of Career Orientation for the Automotive Scope: Future Engineer Program of University of Győr Zalaegerszeg Innovation Park

Today's rapid developments have resulted in a change in students' attitudes and their attitude to learning. In order to provide effective education, it is necessary for educational institutions to understand these changes in attitudes and to adapt the organisation and methodology of education accordingly. In addition, institutions need to take on new roles in an era of globalisation and rapid technological change in order to contribute to social and economic development. In this respect, teaching methods based on practicality may come to the fore; the use of inductive approaches may be an excellent response to this new challenge. The university preparatory course of the University of Győr - Zalaegerszeg Innovation Park builds on the above. The Future Engineer - ZalaZONE is a 6-week series of special, unique elements; a set of methods aimed at introducing and familiarising secondary school students with research and project-based education and practical skills, while at the same time supporting the university's engineer career orientation. Since 2023, the course has been organised on six occasions, engaging 100 participants. A further unique and special feature of the programme is the creation of a course covering automotive topics, targeting secondary school students in the Zalaegerszeg Innovation Park environment, especially in a strong connection of R&D activities, industrial services and academic partnership. Briefly, this article brings a new look to the existing literature in the following areas: (I) aligning inductive, practice-centred approaches (IBL/PBL) with the evolving learning attitudes of Generation Z and Alpha; (II) documenting the design of a university preparatory course embedded in a science-park ecosystem that integrates R&D infrastructure and academic partnership; and (III) demonstrating a transition from subject-based instruction toward integrated automotive themes that stimulate complex, experience-based learning.