Students from ten Czech schools reach the Gas Fitter of the Year final. A promising energy trade attracts talent

The 2026 Gas Fitter of the Year secondary-school competition has its finalists. Two-student teams from ten technical schools have advanced from the regional heats to compete for the title. The competition recognizes the most talented students in gas engineering and related fields, while also showcasing study opportunities in the gas industry at a time of growing interest in gas.

Gas Fitter of the Year is an international secondary-school competition. Teams of two students compete in theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The final will take place from 25 to 26 March at the Building Fair in Brno, as part of Masters of Everyday Life, the Czech multi-trade championship for students of skilled trades.

Last year’s competition broke down established stereotypes when a girl reached the final for the first time in its history—Barbora Svobodová, a student of gas equipment mechanics from Brno. She and her classmate Denis Sobotka went on to win the 2025 Gas Fitter of the Year title together.

The most talented student pairs from the following schools advanced from the regional heats to this year’s final:

• Secondary School of Building Trades, Brno-Bosonohy
• Secondary Vocational Gas School, Pardubice
• Secondary School of Trades, Frýdek-Místek
• Secondary Polytechnic School, Kyjov
• Secondary Technical School, Znojmo - Uhlárka
• Secondary School of Trades, Šumperk
• SOŠ ESOZ Chomutov
• Academy of Trades Prague - Secondary Technical School
• Jarov Secondary Vocational School, Prague
• Secondary School of Construction, Nitra

Among those who qualified for the final is Brno student Ondřej Černý: “What I like about gas engineering is that it’s a technological trade that’s highly varied and constantly evolving. You can maintain tens of thousands of kilometres of gas pipelines, thousands of gas installations, or gas appliances and distribution systems in homes and businesses.”

Czech energy sector cannot do without new gas engineers

“Interest in gas is growing, and the Czech energy sector cannot do without new gas engineers, so studying gas engineering is a smart choice with good prospects. The competition allows us to recognize the most outstanding talent,” says Petr Zajíček, Director of Special Works at the GasNet group, the largest gas distributor in the Czech Republic and the competition’s general partner.

“We expect gas consumption to increase by 11 to 17 TWh by 2030 solely as a result of large energy sources switching from coal to gas. And we are already working with renewable gases—biomethane and, in the future, hydrogen. New generations of gas engineers will therefore continue to play a crucial role in the Czech energy sector,” Petr Zajíček adds.

His comments are echoed by Jiří Košťál, Director of the Secondary School of Building Trades in Brno-Bosonohy: “There is a shortage of skilled tradespeople in the labour market, so it really is true that a trade is worth its weight in gold. Employers are keen to hire our students. This also applies to graduates of the gas equipment mechanics program.”

More information about studying gas engineering is available at gasnet.jobs.cz/studuj-plynarinu.

Competition partners

The competition would not be possible without the support of its partners, who help maintain its professional standards and recognize talent.

• General partner: GasNet
• Gold partners: Gas Storage CZ, GLUMBÍK, Metrostav, Moravský Plynostav, MONTGAS, NET4GAS, PROCKERT & HYNEK, Pražská plynárenská Servis distribuce, Výstavba sítí Kolín, Lama Energy Group, SEPSafe, TOP CENTRUM
• Silver partners: GAS, s.r.o., FASTRA, HUTIRA, ENBRA, innogy, MND
• Bronze partners: Czech Gas Association, Aliaxis ČR, AVK VOD-KA a.s., G.A.S., IPMEG, Plynosklad, TECHKO, FITINGSERVIS, Pipelife Czech, Thermona
• Partners: Secondary School of Building Trades, Brno-Bosonohy, South Moravian Region, South Moravian Regional Chamber of Commerce, České ručičky, Veletrhy Brno