The Professional Council of Specialist Engineers of San Juan is advancing a strategic plan together with the Ministry of Mining and the National University of San Juan. The entity’s secretary, Alfredo Ríos, stated that the institution seeks to strengthen the participation of local professionals and provide key advisory services to the mining industry.
By Panorama Minero
The Professional Council of Specialist Engineers of San Juan, under the leadership of Secretary Alfredo Ríos, has taken on a leading role in ensuring that industrial growth is supported by the necessary technical and legal framework. This institution, which brings together a wide range of engineering disciplines—excluding civil engineering and surveying—serves as a key bridge between the public and private sectors, aiming to strengthen local workforce participation in the face of challenges posed by major international mining operators.
Ríos noted that one of the current pillars is the consolidation of a collaborative framework with key institutional actors. In this regard, the Council is working on the development of a coordinated strategic plan involving the provincial Ministry of Mining and the National University of San Juan, through its Faculty of Engineering. This joint effort is reflected in the creation of specialized committees that support both mining chambers and sector suppliers, ensuring that decisions and projects are backed by a comprehensive technical perspective. The goal is for the Council to move beyond being seen as merely an administrative body and instead become an active part of the solution to the complex challenges faced by the industry, including advising on professional profiles when requested by public or private stakeholders.
Within this strategic vision, Ríos highlighted the intention for the Council to become the primary reference for the mining sector. Faced with specific technical challenges or the need for particular professional profiles, the institution seeks to position itself as the go-to body capable of identifying the appropriate specialist for each situation. To achieve this, it aims to integrate all professionals working in the province into the institution, thereby offering a unified and stronger representation before companies and society as a whole.
The defense of local professionals is another key pillar of the institution. According to Ríos, the technical capacity and practical knowledge of engineers trained in San Juan are not only on par with those brought in by major international operators, but in many cases surpass them.
The relationship with academic training is also a central issue on Ríos’ agenda. Although the Council does not directly influence the modification of curricula at the National University of San Juan, it maintains ongoing dialogue with the Faculty of Engineering to align with market needs.
Finally, the Council’s analysis of the professional market shows that, despite the country’s economic fluctuations, certain specialties maintain steady demand. Currently, industrial engineering stands out as one of the fields with the highest employability, alongside chemical, electrical, and mining engineering, all of which are essential to San Juan’s productive framework. With the anticipated reactivation of large-scale projects, Ríos projects that the Professional Council of Specialist Engineers will play a key role in ensuring that mining growth translates into real opportunities for regional professionals, within a framework of excellence and legal compliance.
