This UNR program, which was first launched in 2021, already has more than 15000 graduates.

The School of Trades Universidad Nacional de Rosario The university awarded 2000 certificates to the students who completed the course this year. The event was held at the UNR Gymnasium, located at Moreno 450.

The goal of the School of Trades is to provide socio-labor training tools through short training cycles that generate skills and abilities for job placement in the most diverse areas, regardless of the level of schooling achieved by the people who enroll.

During 2025, the National University of Rosario (UNR) launched more than 30 courses in various areas of interest, reaching over 2000 graduates. In addition, the School of Trades developed other training programs in conjunction with the Undersecretariat of Social Economy of the Municipality of Rosario, and recently awarded certificates to more than 1500 people who completed their courses. In total, the UNR trained 3500 people in various trades and skills throughout the year.

Rector Franco Bartolacci congratulated the new graduates for their “effort” and for “placing their trust in the Public University.” “This comes at a time in our lives when we have to work, when we have families, when we have other challenges. We have to carve out a little time from each of those things to be able to do it, and you took on the task and today you achieved your goal. There are even many people who have already completed more than one course. Many people are inspired after this and begin a university degree. What the School of Trades generates is wonderful.”

Bartolacci recalled that when the first call for applications to the School of Trades was made in 2021, it marked a complete shift in the way the University was conceived. “Initially, the courses were rather general, and as the school progressed, its focus became increasingly specialized. This allowed us to strengthen ties with municipalities, local communities, organizations, and chambers of commerce, which now makes it easier for more people trained at the school to later access formal employment. That, ultimately, is the goal we set for ourselves.”

“We want the School to be a gateway to the University, a bridge to the world of work,” he said, adding: “The UNR is reaching everywhere with its doors more open than ever. The University is much more than just training professionals, and the UNR is much more than just a University.”

The courses are taught in different areas of the UNR, as well as in institutions located in different parts of the city and the region, facilitating access to the University for people who live further away from the university centers. They were carried out jointly by different academic units of the UNR and social and productive organizations of the city.

The Rector emphasized that the University has enormous potential and that it was necessary to step outside its comfort zone with a dual objective: to ensure that those who currently lack access to the University can reach it every day, and to establish a presence for the UNR in areas where it is not yet present. “Those of us who have the opportunity to occupy positions of institutional responsibility understand that our commitment is to guarantee that all people have the same rights and opportunities that we had. This deep conviction that education is what makes us equal, what saves us, and what sets us free is what motivates us every day to expand the boundaries of what is possible, to implement new initiatives that were previously unavailable, and to make the University more present in those areas where it is not yet fully established.”

Ianara Hummel, head of the UNR's Extension Department, praised the large turnout and commitment of the students throughout 2025. “This is a day of profound celebration for our public university, because it allows us to reaffirm the path we have been following since we launched the School of Trades, a key tool for entering the workforce. In that sense, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the people and institutions that make it possible for the School of Trades to be a true landmark for the city and the province, and for it to continue growing every day.”

He also made a special mention of the teachers who make up the courses, who always "carry the School of Trades on their shoulders." "These were two very difficult years for university teaching; however, they were present in every course and in every classroom, demonstrating the importance of teaching and carrying it out with the sensitivity and commitment that always characterize them."

The President of the City Council, María Eugenia Schmuck, commented that the School of Trades is an excellent example of job training and directly connects the University with the world of work. “This is one of the events I most enjoy participating in. I am a daughter and a professor at the University, and one never truly leaves here; one always tries to stay connected. To all those who completed their courses and are receiving their certifications today, I want to say that this is just the beginning of a journey, not the end. This is the university we want, and this is the city we want to build. This is not just another program; it's the University going out into the community, seeing what is needed. Behind each graduate are countless stories, but they all have something in common: they dared to take that extra step and put in a great deal of effort.”

Through the School of Trades, the University continues to establish itself as a space for permanent training that seeks to account for the labor demand and the construction of knowledge in a broader, participatory and self-managed way.

Journalist: Gonzalo J. García / Photographer: Karen Roeschlin