January 2 saw the start of the first induction course for over 250 university students from all over Argentina, chosen to participate in the 2023 Summer Educational Practices.

The first week of 2023 saw the launch of the Summer Educational Practices (Prácticas Educativas de Verano - PEV), for 256 students from different Argentine universities. The Techint Group has been running the PEV program since 1985 for university students looking to take their first steps in the world of work, as a way of integrating the academic universe with the professional sector.

The program lasts three months, during which the young people are assigned projects and accompanied by a tutor to guide them through the training process. The idea is for the interns to assimilate new knowledge and develop their creativity, flexibility and problem-solving abilities during the training period.

The induction meeting was held at the Training & Convention Center, and the interns were divided into two groups with similar itineraries so that all the young people joining the PEV program to work in the Group’s different business units could be received and welcomed.

The morning session was for the group of 75 PEVs joining Ternium and the 61 going to Tecpetrol, while the afternoon session was aimed at the 65 young people entering Tenaris, 46 interns joining Techint Engineering & Construction, five filling spots at Central Offices & Holding, and two taken on by Exiros. Five of the young participants will be following their Summer Educational Practice in Uruguay.

The induction sessions focused on a series of introductory talks about the Techint Group and were an opportunity to hand out the welcome kits. Built into the agenda were exchange breaks where the PEVs could get to know each other and talk to people from the Human Resources department. Additionally, each business will be holding its own tailored induction process in line with the features of the position and area where their summer interns will be working.

Sofía Salaz, Talent Attraction Manager, began the day by welcoming all the participants on behalf of the Talent Attraction Team. She explained the program’s objectives and scope and detailed what the interns could hope to expect during the three months of their program as well as what would be expected of them in return. Sofía wound up her talk with some practical advice and tips to help the PEVs make the most of their experience.

This was followed by a practical exercise to test how much the young people knew about the Group and its company, a quiz with winners. Subsequently, Romina Senia, Training & Development Manager, presented the Techint Group and its values, the Group’s composition and the particularities of each of its companies. She also discussed the distribution of each company’s population of employees and its global presence.

Romina was followed by Pablo Benegas, Senior Consultant and Training Manager from the Argentine professional training and coaching firm Ingouville, Nelson & Asoc., who gave a talk about the challenges in the world of work. Towards the end, he invited the students to play an interactive game, with different challenges such as word hunts, where they had to come up with words associated with the terms "university" and "company".

The Talent Attraction team was up next, and they spoke about Careers at Techint and specific issues to be borne in mind. They also explained what to expect regarding the induction process, both general and individual, at the company where each intern will be working. The team went into detail about the individual follow-up instances for the PEVs and the questionnaires they need to complete about their practice experience.

Another issue on the agenda concerned the kind of feedback the interns will receive at the end of the program, as well as the closing activity itself. Romina explained the Performance Management Process used to evaluate the PEVs and stressed the importance of defining personal and professional objectives. She dedicated time to explaining the different stages of the process, including self-assessment as well as the evaluation and feedback aspects provided by their tutors.

To close the induction day, there was a panel featuring some special guests—former PEVs who had completed their internship practices in earlier editions of the program. Francisco Pisano (DIRHU), Joaquín Naveiro (Tecpetrol), Felicitas Hirth (Ternium), Francisco Colatruglio (Exiros), María Belén Fernandez Arcay (Tenaris), Matías Rodriguez (Ternium) and Juan Casas (DIRHU), subsequently went on to continue their professional careers within the Group and now work for different business units.

During the panel, they shared their personal experiences and insights about the summer program and explained how they advanced with their professional development when the PEV ended. They talked about the different programs they passed through and the areas they worked for. More specifically, they shared advice and recommendations to help the latest cohort of interns make the most of this unique experience.