The turnout for Tecpetrol’s traditional open day for students from technical schools exceeded expectations and was a total success! Read all about it.

Pablo Martellotta, Community Relations Corporate Manager, opened the event and welcomed the assembled gathering. “There are lots of us here, over five hundred students and more than fifty teachers from eleven technical schools in Plottier, Senillosa, Centenario and the city of Neuquén. We can look forward to an action-packed day with activities for everyone, including teachers who will be attending talks and training about the Professional Internships, a key instance when it comes to preparing for a technical future." And so began the latest edition of Tecnoaventura, an event that takes place within the framework of Technical Gene, Tecpetrol's main educational program in Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut and Salta.

Pablo’s talk was followed by the safety induction and instructions given by Axel López and Mariana Lemes, Health, Security & Environment Supervisors, as if this were a technical operation in the field. They provided advice and prevention measures to ensure the safety of all those attending the event, including the officials from the technical education area of the provincial government. These were Oscar Frassone, Provincial Director of Technical Education, Vocational Training and CERET; Marcelo Villar, Member of the Higher, Middle and Technical Branch, and Natalia Arévalo, General Director of Inter-institutional Agreements, among others.

Earlier, the fifth-year students had entered the auditorium in high spirits, as both the music and the presenter contributed to the buoyant atmosphere. The mood was one of excitement and surprise, as explained by Vicente, Tomás and Darío, from the Technical School EPET 20 in Neuquén City: “We’re having a really great time, it’s super interesting, the instructors orient you and tell you what it’s like in the field. It was very different to everything we’ve seen so far, and they told us all about the different study courses we could take.”

The venue was the EPET 3 gymnasium in the Gregorio Álvarez neighborhood, and it was packed to the rafters with every single person who had been invited, including five hundred students. EPET 3 is fully aware of the caliber of these occasions, as it’s one of the schools taking part in the Technical Gene program, the jewel in the educational crown of both Tecpetrol and the Techint Group. In fact, one of the school’s classrooms had been remodeled and equipped with the latest technological equipment for teaching classes in hybrid mode.

The latest edition of Tecnoaventura was once again an opportunity to showcase what makes the program different: upfront came the explanation of all the processes associated with the extraction, transportation and production of oil and gas presented in an educational and entertaining way. Then the students were split up into groups to visit different stations led by Tecpetrol professionals, for an immersive experience where they could carry out activities enabling them to take a deep dive into all the areas involved in the energy chain. The common denominator in all of this was the level of interaction, dynamism and the games component.

There’s no doubt that Tecnoaventura is the prime festival of technical education, making everything fun and informative at the same time. In the words of Ramiro Urbano, JP Pool Drilling and the specialist who was running the first station: “We tell them how to drill a well, what tools we use, how deep we have to go in Vaca Muerta, and why we do what we do.” Luis Giorggi, Process Engineer, added that, “it was a great experience, we played a game with the kids where we took different aspects of daily life and related them to industry activities. I love the fact that they’re so nourished by this beautiful activity.”

Leaving the best for last, came the team competition. The prize for the winning group is a trip to the heart of Vaca Muerta to see the company’s operations at Fortín de Piedra, Tecpetrol's field in the Neuquén Basin. To waves of applause, against the final strains of the upbeat music, the students and teachers said their farewells and got back on their buses to go home. A new edition of Tecnoaventura ended with the same spirit as always: supporting new generations of students as they prepare for technical studies and future careers. As Pablo reflected, “This is all for you: enjoy yourselves, but make sure all your questions are answered. You’re in fifth year now, you have one more year left to plan your future. Those who take the leap and follow the path of our industry will be very welcome.”