The initiative aims to strengthen the regional gastronomic identity and create an ecosystem that links education, tourism and sustainable development around salmon.
For the first time, the prestigious White Hats Scholarship arrives to the Aysén Region thanks to a strategic alliance with SalmonChile, which goes beyond traditional academic support. This initiative, presented last week in INACAP Coyhaique, seeks to articulate an integrated talent ecosystem, territorial identity and regional economic development around salmon, one of the most emblematic products of southern Chile.
The program not only includes economic support and study materials for outstanding gastronomy students, but also incorporates a series of technical master classes given by renowned national and international chefs. These activities are aimed at students from technical-professional high schools, higher education students and young people interested in developing a culinary career with strong local roots.
"Salmon has not only been the economic engine of the southern south. It is also a versatile product, of world quality, that can and must play a leading role in the gastronomic identity of our regions. This scholarship seeks precisely that: to open doors, connect worlds and support the talents that are being born from Aysén to Chile and the world," said Arturo Clément, president of SalmonChile.
As part of the program, there will also be a training tour for the participating chefs in Aysén, allowing them to know first-hand the sustainable standards, innovations and practices that currently characterize the salmon sector in Chile.
Patrice Van De Maele, Vice-Rector of INACAP Headquarters Coyhaique, highlighted the importance of multisectoral collaboration. "Here a number of institutions, guilds and academies are joining together to achieve a common goal. The association of chefs is articulating and transmitting their knowledge, while SalmonChile contributes with scholarships. We are very happy because this alliance generates real value," he thanked.
The initiative also contemplates meetings with local authorities, restaurant owners and entrepreneurs in the area, with the aim of opening a dialogue that allows to project together the gastronomic value of salmon, strengthen the formation of local human capital and energize the regional economy from its culinary identity.
"I am happy to be here at INACAP with this beautiful activity that is the scholarships for students of technical lycées. It's an opportunity that fills my soul. Seeing that we can contribute with a grain of sand for these students is a very enriching thing. I am very proud to belong to the association and to make this possible thanks to SalmonChile," said Patricio Castro, Vice President of Les Toques Blanches.
Marcela Bravo of SalmonChile emphasized that "today we are making a dream come true that we had projected a long time ago: to bring the Les Toques Blanches scholarships to the region of Aysén so that young people who study gastronomy and want to continue perfecting themselves can have this help. Like SalmonChile, we are very happy to be here in Coyhaique working collaboratively with Les Toques Blanches, the cameras of tourism, the chambers of commerce and the different restaurants."
The program is aligned with regional tourism promotion efforts, said Claudio Montecinos, Regional Director of SERNATUR Aysén. "We are moving towards a strategy of positioning our tourist destination not only through our natural attractions, but also through other attributes related to culture, heritage and particularly gastronomy. These types of encounters allow you to get closer positions on how to incorporate products such as salmon into Aysén Patagonia's tourism promotion strategy in national and international markets," he concluded.
