Related videos:
The Electric Union (UNE) announced that students from the Estanislao Gutiérrez Polytechnic in Sancti Spíritus are participating in what are known as pre-professional internships at the El Meso Photovoltaic Solar Park in Jatibonico. However, the detail that has caused surprise and outrage on social media is that these internships consist, according to the entity itself, of separating and assembling nuts and bolts.
The post on Facebook highlights that the young people "join the workers in the assembly of screws for the construction of the PSFV El Meso tables," presenting the activity as part of the learning process.
However, many users have questioned the limited technical and educational value of a task that contributes little to the professional development or specialized knowledge expected from a technical intermediate-level student.
"Is that really what pre-professional practices are?", some Cubans wonder, pointing out that the experience should include training in electricity, solar energy, structural design, or technical maintenance, rather than basic mechanical tasks that do not foster real skills in the trade.
The episode has reignited the debate about the crisis in the technical education system in Cuba, where internships are increasingly reduced to symbolic activities that do not prepare young people for the workforce or utilize their potential. Meanwhile, the country faces a chronic shortage of skilled technicians in strategic sectors such as energy, construction, and industry.
It's not the first time... and it won't be the last
In Santiago de Cuba, this past February, workers from the Electric Company "actively participated" in the construction process of the Las Guásimas Photovoltaic Solar Park, a key project for renewable energy generation in the province, as the entity explained this Tuesday.
As part of the preliminary work before the installation of the solar panels, the workers were “actively” engaged in the classification of nuts and washers needed for the assembly of the metal structures that will support the photovoltaic modules.
The fact that workers from the Electric Company have to carry out these kinds of tasks suggests a deficit in the project's logistical planning or a deterioration in the construction processes, which could slow down rather than expedite the implementation of the solar park.
In November 2024, the Electric Company of Holguín organized a sorting day for screws for the CORUA solar park, amid a backdrop of power outages that were already exceeding 15 hours daily.
Filed under: