From Lastarria Garage to Tech Hub: How Local Entrepreneur Is Reshaping Santiago's Job Market

In a converted warehouse on Calle Andes in the Lastarria neighbourhood, something unexpected is happening to Santiago's employment landscape. What started as a modest coding bootcamp in 2024 has evolved into one of the city's most aggressive job creators, with María Francisca Rojas's platform, CodeSantiago, now operating across three locations and training cohorts that feed directly into positions at firms across the Sanhattan financial district and beyond.

The numbers tell a compelling story. CodeSantiago has placed over 400 graduates into positions since launch—a meaningful figure in a city where tech sector growth has historically lagged other Latin American capitals. Average starting salaries for graduates sit around 1.8 million pesos monthly, roughly 30 percent above regional entry-level benchmarks. More remarkably, 78 percent of placements occur within 90 days of programme completion.

What sets Rojas's approach apart in Santiago's competitive training market is her focus on underemployed professionals. Rather than targeting school leavers, CodeSantiago recruits from call centres, retail, and administrative roles—workers with stable income but limited growth prospects. This model has proved shrewd. Retention rates at hiring companies exceed 85 percent after year one, suggesting better cultural and skill fit than traditional recruitment.

The ripple effects extend beyond the bootcamp itself. Three months ago, Rojas launched an apprenticeship arm partnering with mid-sized firms in the Providencia and Las Condes business corridors. Twenty companies have already committed to hosting cohorts, creating pipeline demand that pushes CodeSantiago to expand its instructor roster from 12 to 28 by year's end.

Local economic analysts view this phenomenon within a broader context. Santiago's unemployment rate sits at 7.2 percent—down from 8.6 percent two years ago—but youth underemployment remains stubbornly high at 22 percent. CodeSantiago's success suggests that nimble, skills-focused interventions can move the needle faster than traditional education pathways, particularly for the city's squeezed middle classes.

The Chilean Chamber of Commerce has taken notice, recently citing CodeSantiago in its quarterly labour report as a model for private-sector workforce development. Government officials have quietly approached Rojas about scaling elements nationally, though she remains focused on Santiago's immediate opportunity.

When asked about expansion plans, she emphasises patience. The next phase involves opening a fourth hub in the Ñuñoa district by September, targeting workers in the broader southern metro area. If that succeeds, Santiago may be witnessing the early stages of a employment innovation that other cities are watching closely.

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