Analysis of the portrait of a SVE graduate in the labor market through the eyes of an employer

The article substantiates the relevance of the study, due to the transformations of the economy and the labor market, as well as the personnel dynamics of the region and the demands of employers in the real business sector. The introduction presents statistics on the interest of regional authorities in secondary vocational education and the professional trajectory of graduates, states the purpose of the study (to analyze the most popular qualities of graduates in the food industry and restaurant business that shape their professional profile in the labor market), and formulates the task. The object of the study in the article is the final-year students of the Chelyabinsk State College of Food Industry and Trade (CSCFIT), and the competencies that determine their professional profile in the labor market are designated as the subject of the study. The scientific and practical significance lies in the integration of modern economic conditions with the specific features of the educational environment of the CSCFIT, formed in the course of interaction with real business partners within the framework of events based on the regional innovation platform. The materials and methods section of the article presents the empirical base, describes the main approaches in pedagogy to understanding the social and professional profile of a graduate, as well as scientific ideas and positions of scientists in the field of pedagogy and economics, substantiates the choice of the direct survey method with elements of in-depth interviews to obtain and process the results. The main results of the study include the processing of employers’ responses received during the survey, an analysis of the experience of interaction of CSCFIT within the framework of an innovative project on business-oriented training, guaranteeing professional success and sustainable competitive advantages of students in the field of food and restaurant business. The most popular competitive competencies expected by employers are shown, and the connection of interests in the “employer - VEO - graduate” system is identified.