Встановлено, що нові вимоги до компетентності фахівців кулінарного профілю актуалізують потребу застосування інноваційних підходів до професійної підготовки майбутніх робітників ресторанного господарства. Виявлено, що доцільно впроваджувати таку організаційну форму як мала академія, яка виконує роль майданчика для підвищення професійної компетентності, популяризує робітничі фахи та є засобом для формування позитивного бренд-іміджу закладу. Виявлені особливості функціонування цієї форми в системі професійної (професійно-технічної) освіти. Наведено позитивний досвід створення Малої кулінарної академії на базі закладу, діяльність якої побудована на засадах проєктної технології.
It was found that the updated requirements of the labour market to the qualifications of future professionals encourage the introduction of innovative and groundbreaking approaches to the educational process of vocational education, aimed at both professional and personal development of an applicants. The new standard of professional (vocational) education for the profession "Cook" is developed on a competency basis and provides for the formation of a set of the most popular competencies. It is established that the new requirements to the professional competence of restaurant specialists actualize the need to quickly adapt applicants to real production conditions, using various ways to improve their skills and taking into account innovations in the industry. There were identified the modern organizational forms of creative professional development of the future professionals who have the potential to improve professional skills. It was found that in vocational education institutions it is expedient to introduce such an organizational form as a small academy, which serves as a platform for improving professional competence, popularizes working professions and is a means to form a positive brand image of the institution. Peculiarities of functioning of this form of organization in the system of professional education are revealed: the scientific orientation of theoretical and practical components of activity; the focus on the opportunity to share the experience of the best organization of vocational training in the conditions of extracurricular activities in order to follow it; the deepening of professional knowledge and skills, formation of value orientations; the close cooperation with social partners; the organization of professionally oriented activities on the basis of subject-subject relations. Positive experience of the Small Culinary Academy creation on the basis of the institution, the activity of which is built on the principles of project technology, is given.
