The school was founded on 1 November 1885 as the Regular and Preparatory School of Crafts  in the Free Royal Town of Košice with these study specializations: watchmaker, typesetter, cartwright, bookbinder, signwriter, photographer,  stonecutter, shoemaker, sartor, baker, upholsterer, carpenter, pastry cook and sculptor. Then Ministry of Education  contributed  to establishment of the school  by its decree No.  27.496/1884 VKM, by which  were issued the Organizational and study regulations for schools for craft apprentices  pursuant to the  Licensing Act No. 17/1884. Under this decree, the Vocational School for Craft Apprentices was  established on 1 November 1885.

The oldest records about the Vocational school in Košice are stored in the school archive. They are class-books and catalogues from the school year  1886-1887, stating the school name: ”Regular Continuation School  of Crafts in Free Royal Town of Košice.” In the above-mentioned school year, which began on 26 September 1886, were taughtthe followingprofessions: cartwright, shoemaker, typesetter, upholsterer, stonecutter, photographer, sartor, watchmaker, baker, signwriter, carpenter, bookbinder, pastry cook and sculptor. The school ensured only the instruction of general education subjects, the vocational  training was provided for students in the premises of craftsmen – private self-employers. Teaching language was Hungarian.  The students, with some exceptions,  were from families of workers and craftsmen.   Girls were not accepted to study at the school. The name of the headmaster is not preserved  and the seat  of the school is unknown as well. In school year 1897/98 school was renamed into “General Craft Vocatinal School”.

Another records date back to the existence of the First Czechoslovak Republic. In the school year 1919-1920, the school was renamed to „Trade Continuation School in Košice“. The main language of instruction  was Slovak. In the course of the school year 1926-1927, the name of the school changed into „General Apprentice School in Košice“. Students were divided to the classes by their study fields  for the first time. The following study specializations were taught: metal-worker, sartor, bricklayer, barber, as well as specialisations  in the food and general field. The workshops were also part of the school. In the following school year, students were taught in the new school building on the Modlitebná Street (today's Grešáková Street). Nowadays, the former building of the  apprentice school is the seat of the  Secondary technical school with Hungarian language as the language of instruction. Dr. Ing. Ladislav Orbán was the headmaster of the school until January 1945. In 1944, the school stopped to provide education, and the school building  was used as  a German, later Soviet field ambulance.

After the liberation, the building, significantly damaged due to war events, was returned to be used as a school.  Teacher Emil Putanko was charged with its management. He started process of the school  building consolidation and  the school was used to fulfil the tasks for which the building was originally intended. The first free school year started  on 1 September 1945, with the temporary headmaster Martin Šnappa, and the school was renamed to „State vocational school“. After “February 1948“, Ernest Wirdzek was appointed as a new headmaster and the name of the school changed into „Elementary specialized school“. For the first time in the history of the school, the Slovak language was taught as the school subject. In the school year 1953-54, when Štefan Hežely was the school headmaster,  a big change occurred and the new seat of the school became the building of today's grammar school on the Post Street. In 1954,  the name of the school was changed into „Factory Vocational School of Local Economy“. The most difficult years were school years 1955-56 and 1957. The premises of the school were insufficient, material equipment was inadequate. The situation improved since  1 January 1958,  when all facilities providing vocational training returned under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. The  school was renamed to „Vocational  School No. 1 in Košice.“

In the years 1958-1967, the school  gradually  improved; there was an increase  in a number of students, classes and teachers, an improvement of  teaching plans and material equipment. The biggest problem was premises of obsolete building  which were insufficient in terms of their capacity. This serious deficiency and obstacle was eliminated by one possible solution- construction of the new school building. The school year 1967- 68 began in the new building. At the beginning of January 1971, Michal Čičvák became a new headmaster, and the school went through a new phase of qualitative growth. Specialized classrooms were established,  modern didactic technique and teaching aids were introduced into the teaching process, the school reached remarkable results in apprentice competitions on the municipal, district and national level.

In 1983, the school was taken over by the directorate of the ČSAD (Czechoslovak Automobile Transport)  under the name „Secondary Vocational School of Transport“.  Ing. Jozef Telepák became a headmaster of the SVS of transport since 1 September 1987. During his term of office were commenced big reconstruction of the school building, rebuilding of  the cinema hall, modernisation of workrooms and classrooms. The driving school was established as well.

Since 1 February 1990 the headmaster of  the SVS of transport became Mgr. Ján Handžák, and thanks to his efforts the school  obtained premises for  own workrooms on the Bielocerkevská and Jarmočná streets, working conditions improved, modern schoolrooms were formed and computer technique was provided. The Secondary vocational school ceased to be a part of the ČSAD and since 1 January 1991 it became an independent legal entity. In 1995 he retired, and  Ing. Jozef Eperješi became a new headmaster  of the school in March 1996. After short transitional period  under the name Secondary vocational school, the school got the name “Secondary  technical automotive school” since 1 January  2009.

In March 2005,  the school become The Pilot centre of Slovak Automotive Industry Association - guild of vendors and services. It was preceded by an extensive reconstruction and  equipment  of school car service-workrooms on the Jarmočná street. With the support of the HTU, the school obtained the up-to-date car diagnostic technique. It has also got new cars for teaching purposes thanks to the AIA SR. The workrooms on the Bielocerkevska Street were newly equipped after the reconstruction and are  used mainly for areas of computer networks and information technologies. The study programme “commercial worker in transport”  is taught  in new terminal classrooms.

Modernisation of teaching process by using IKT in the years  2009-2011 significantly  increased. Up to 94% of teachers were involved into the  projects which were co-financed from the EU funds.  Thanks to the school project  „We learn in effective and modern way“,  all teacher have  connection to internet in their offices, own e-mail address and own notebooks.

Over its long existence, the school came through many changes. It has always belonged and still belongs among the biggest schools in the Slovak Republic.

In comparison with the past,  the nature  of  study specializations has changed.  At present,  the school offers the following study fields: car repairing, but also trade and transport  and especially automobile electronics. We permanently teach  electronic study branches, with a focus on organisational and computing technique, digital technique, consumer electronics. We plan to introduce a new study field which will focus on heavy–current electrotechnics in collaboration with  the Transport enterprise of the city of Košice a.s..

We entered a new millennium and we face the task to  review and evaluate the current state of balance between the structure of instruction  provided for our graduates  and needs of labour market. Actual job positions of our graduates require a close connection  between the school and employers, which  is expressed in and  closely  related to a current strategic  direction of vocational teaching  and preparation at our school.

Prepared by:    Ing. Jozef Eperješi

                               headmaster