Tecpetrol brought together companies and representatives from the public education system in Neuquén to share ideas about talent development for the industry in the years ahead.

As part of a new edition of GenEra Neuquén, the company held a series of “Working Groups,” a meeting centered on collaborative work that brought together companies participating in the ProPymes Program, universities, education authorities and industry specialists. The goal was to discuss what the region needs to support its growth and work together on practical ideas to strengthen technical education and improve employability across the industry.

The meeting opened with remarks from Tecpetrol CEO Ricardo Markous, alongside Chief Human Resources Officer María Laura García, and featured virtual participation from Manuel Álvarez Trongé, president of Proyecto Educar 2050. “The idea is to work together with everyone who plays a role in young people’s development: companies, schools, teachers and the public sector,” shared María Laura.

In that context, Ricardo connected the region’s energy growth with the need to develop the talent that will make it possible: “Argentina is going through a period of transformation with enormous opportunities ahead. Neuquén is at the heart of that story through Vaca Muerta. These are vast projects and making them happen depends on having the right people as well as the resources to develop them.”

The Working Groups focused on identifying the main barriers young people face when entering the workforce, prioritizing the most urgent challenges and developing practical solutions. The idea was to create a shared roadmap, with concrete proposals and clear roles for each sector involved. “It’s incredibly valuable to have representatives from education, the province and the companies that are hiring all sitting at the same table,” said Luis Lanziani, Supplier Development Director at Tecpetrol. “These conversations help us focus on actions that can generate a real positive impact, not only for society, but for the country’s future as a whole.”

From the public sector, Amalín Temi, Director of Socio-educational Policies and Equity of the Ministry of Education of the Province of Neuquén, emphasized the need to “start getting to know each other better and work in a more coordinated way to strengthen the link between education and industry.” Glenda Temi, president of the Provincial Council of Education, added that these kinds of spaces make it possible to “align our needs while also responding to those of the private sector, without losing sight of the kind of people we want to educate and why.”

Some of the SMEs present also shared the issues they are facing on the ground. “Today, one of the biggest challenges is attracting professionals who not only have degrees but also strong technical skills and practical knowledge,” pointed out Eugenio Díaz, Commercial and Planning Manager of Transportes Crexell. For Néstor Bonilla, Managing Partner at BMK, the value of the meeting was being able to “listen to different sectors and see how we can contribute from our position.”

In that spirit of collaboration, Lourdes Ollivier, an education specialist at the Techint Group, summed up the purpose of the meeting: “There are needs on both sides, but we’re all ultimately working toward the same goal: the growth of young people, education, and industry.”

The event was held as part of the third year of GenEra Neuquén, a program promoted by Tecpetrol together with the provincial Ministry of Education. Since its launch, the initiative has reached more than 2,400 students from 17 technical schools and delivered over 100,000 hours of training in technical skills, trades and mathematics across 10 locations, in partnership with UTN - FRN and Universidad de Flores.

The day concluded with the presentation of proposals and action plans designed to strengthen the connection between education, industry and employment opportunities. “GenEra is part of our broader strategy of working alongside communities and supporting supplier development,” Ricardo said. Throughout the meeting, one idea remained at the center of the conversation: anticipating the skills the region will need in the future, and building them together.