A group of 111 students and ex-students who are involved in the audio-visual area were all part of the course, as they look to earn a role in the event's staff.

The first session was carried out on April 3 at the Campus San Joaquín of the institute, where Mediapro hosted theoretical and practical lessons.

Victor Ventura, a member of the Mediapro Broadcast School team, began the first classes by teaching the basic concepts of audio visuals.

"Wherever we go, we try to prioritise local things," said Ventura.

"The teams are formed by people from those countries where we work. 

"I’m proud to be here, in Chile, because we did the same training course in 2019 for the Lima Games, so, the fact that we’re repeating it means that it worked. 

"This is a matter of action and achieving goals."

Darío Cuesta, the national communications director of Santo Tomás institute, expressed the honour behind the programme.

"We have high expectations before being selected for this training; it’s such a great honour, but also a big responsibility," said Cuesta.

"Our objective is training our students the best way we can, giving them the largest quantity of tools possible, so Mediapro can select students to work in the Games. 

"In total 400 students applied."

Guillermo Cruces, head of the television area from Santiago 2023, expressed excitement about the course.

"You don’t have an opportunity like this every day, so I hope the students can enjoy it and learn from a team with experience in worldwide events, Pan American Games, and Champions League," said Cruces.

The students who participated were also delighted with the course.

"I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity we were given to experiment in a new field such as sports," said Paulina González, a graduate from the audiovisual communication technical course.

"This is a plus that will open up great opportunities for us. Having this on our CV will make a difference."

Adonis Díaz, a third year student in digital audiovisual communication added: "I mainly took this training course because it’s novel, it'll be a new experience, and also to add something to my CV.

"I’m motivated about the idea of being part of the Games and watching how great productions are developed."

The Santiago 2023 Pan American Games is due to take place from October 20 to November 5, with competition due to take place across 61 disciplines.