A story of Lviv Professional College of Hospitality, Tourism and Restaurant service

Ruslan Sorochynskiy is one of Lviv's top chefs. His signature restaurant, the Park. Art of Rest in a leafy corner of the ancient western Ukrainian city, is a magnet for weddings, tourists and society events, where sumptuous recipes influenced by local and international cuisine grace the tables in a minimalist, modernist setting.

He is also a patron of one of the city's top vocational training schools - the Lviv Professional College of Hospitality, Tourism and Restaurant service.

“Whenever I have staffing needs, I run there for help and they are always ready to help,” Ruslan says.

The top chef, who also runs a network of seven other restaurants across the old Hapsburg city, adds that as many as 90 percent of his employees are graduates - or students - of the college.

“The students are top class. They are a new generation, motivated and ready to learn and move on in their profession. We motivate them, offer them good salaries and take care of them,” he adds.

“The college is like our mother - always ready to help.”

Anna Balyshchak, the college director, says there is strong competition for places at the college and they easily identify stakeholders and partners with which to work.

“Employers find us,” she says with a smile. “They are always asking us for the people they need. Once they have started cooperating with us they never look anywhere else for workers.”

Ihor Heryliv, a chef at the city's Atoria Hotel's Mon Chef restaurant, graduated eight years ago, but comes back frequently to leader masterclasses and help out with the college's wide range of activities.

“In all the jobs I have had, we have always looked for graduates from this institution, because we know they have a good grounding in their professions,” he says.