Forming the Future in Puerto de la Libertad
Officially inaugurated on February 15, 2017, the first “Escuela de Capacitación Turística del Puerto de La Libertad, ESCATUR” (Tourist Training School of Puerto de La Libertad) is a project that aims to support the tourism and social development of Puerto de La Libertad, specifically focused on the training of youths in the coastal zone of La Libertad and the municipality of San Luis Talpa, of La Paz.
The school offers an Integral Qualifying Course on Tourist Services that trains future specialists in gastronomy and cocktails; skills that are complemented with knowledge of English for tourist activities, computing and environmental culture.
For theoretical and practical training, Escatur has the support of the best hotels and restaurants in the area; this guarantees that the students do later their internships at these companies and facilitates their future job allocations. At this time, Escatur aspires to continue its noble efforts by finding donors and own funds to function, as the courses are free for students.
To date, the school has trained around 400 specialists in the different workshops, and of these, more than 45% of the graduates have been assimilated by local hotels and restaurants, and some even by facilities in the city of San Salvador; a high employability rate that the project proudly shows.
In its cultural training program, Escatur also hosts one aimed at promoting the different talents and skills of women in the area.
The school has already held five gastronomic festivals and participated in three international festivals of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of El Salvador, (Camarsal). Its students also attend activities of the Ministry of Tourism of the country such as Tourism Cooperation Forums, “Living Villa” Fairs, seminars, courses and workshops. The project has also shown its achievements in foreign events such as the International Tourism Fair of Madrid.