After two editions in 2023, the πlares (Pilares) Construcciones private enterprise is announcing its free internship program, “Ando de π”, for Architecture and Civil Engineering students. This time, lasting five days, from April 15 to 19, coinciding with the week of teaching recess for higher education in Cuba.
The initiative, born from a MSME, focuses on contributing to the comprehensive training of these professionals and is open to young people from all over the country studying these university degrees. It seeks to connect them with the world of work through their insertion into state and private productive entities that collaborate with the project.
But the program not only covers stays in workshops, industries or on site; it also includes training and leisure activities aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“The ‘5 days of π’ will be a shorter experience compared to the other editions, but equally enriching for students. During this period, participants have the opportunity to work on real projects, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and put into practice the skills and knowledge acquired in the academy,” Yulieta Hernández, president of πlares Construcciones, explained.
Precisely, the leader of the venture affirms that the main objective is to contribute to the so-called university-enterprise link. “We want to help them understand how the labor market works, how enterprises work, how to get involved in them. Furthermore, they have a direct relationship with production, although this time it will be with a shorter time. In August we will call for a larger edition with possibilities for other engineering projects,” she pointed out.
In the opinion of Alfredo Estrada, a recent graduate of Architecture at the University of Las Villas and who attended the internship in August 2023, the program is an excellent opportunity to reinforce the knowledge acquired in the academy and obtain additional practical elements that are usually left out of the study plans.
“The internship was something new for me and for most of us who lived the experience. I was fascinated. They gave us lectures on very useful topics for architecture and design. In addition, we learned about very useful materials and techniques that are not taught in depth in school. In just one month I gained a lot of knowledge,” he explained.
Alfredo highlighted the program’s opportunity to exchange with entrepreneurs about successful practices in the sector, the promotion of teamwork between different specialties, as well as the marketing workshops and how to present project proposals to potential investors.
Both the training and extracurricular activities within the internship focus on the 2030 Agenda. Yulieta Hernández commented that the majority of attendees did not know the content of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and that the “Ando de π” program has contributed to making them visible and exemplifying how private ventures and state enterprises put them into practice.
“We held a workshop dedicated to gender SDG 5, where construction enterprises led by women were presented. This is a very patriarchal sector, dominated by men. We had an interesting debate with many questions and some advice for young women professionals on how to confront machismo in the professional world.”
The internship also pursues another purpose: to help contain the loss of young talent. “For us it is important to contribute to reducing professional emigration a little. With these internships, students enter enterprises, have contacts with successful ventures and meet their leaders. They confirm that a life and professional project can be carried out in the country,” Hernández explained.
Nearly 200 students from Havana and nine provinces have attended the last two editions of “Ando de π.” After participating in this project, professionals and students are part of a kind of community in which they share knowledge, good practices, training and employment offers.
