President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attended the inauguration ceremony of the Roberto Rocca Technical School on Friday, March 6, alongside Techint Group President Paolo Rocca and Ternium CEO Máximo Vedoya.
Built by Ternium in Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, this private, socially driven initiative of the Techint Group offers technical high school education exclusively to young people from the region, with specializations in Electromechanics and Mechatronics. The school was built with a private investment of USD 50 million.
In addition to the President of the Republic, other authorities attending the event included the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes; the Minister of Education, Camilo Santana; and the Minister of Racial Equality, Anielle Franco.
Construction of the school began in 2023, and it currently has 384 students enrolled. By 2027, when the institution reaches full capacity, it will serve 576 high school students. All students receive scholarships, reinforcing the company’s commitment to integrating the community with industry.
“I want Brazilian business leaders to learn a lesson. This school is not to teach people just to work for them, but to ensure the future of the community. Investing in education is a necessity, not a cost. You are investing in the future of your company, your professionals, and the country,” remarked Lula in a message to the business leaders.
“It was very important to welcome President Lula to the inauguration of our Roberto Rocca Technical School in Santa Cruz, where we have an industrial center that employs 8,000 people and produces competitive steel for Brazil and the world. We invest in technical education because we believe in the central role of industry in the economic and social development of Brazil and all the countries where we operate,” said Paolo Rocca, President of the Techint Group.
This initiative by Ternium and the Techint Group enables young people from densely populated neighborhoods such as Santa Cruz, Paciência, Sepetiba, and Itaguaí, areas with some of the lowest social development indicators in the state of Rio de Janeiro, to receive training in key industrial fields. The school features 9,000 square meters of facilities, 18 laboratories, state-of-the-art equipment, and an educational approach that integrates theory and practice.
Ternium is one of the largest steel producers in Latin America and, together with the Techint Group, has invested more than USD 4.7 billion in Brazil.
