What are the benefits of apprenticeship?

For Employers, apprenticeship programs reduce turnover costs, increase productivity, create a more skilled, diverse and competitive workforce and offer customized support to create an apprenticeship program that meets each employer’s needs.

For Apprentices, apprenticeship programs allow participants to earn while you learn; access to nationally recognized credentials from the restaurant industry and the USDOL; are an affordable alternative to a four-year degree, without resulting in a six-figure college loan; an opportunity to gain front of the house and back of the house knowledge; and offer access to a sustainable career path, promotion, and leadership opportunities.

What is the Restaurant Youth Registered Apprenticeship (RYRA)?

The Restaurant Youth Registered Apprenticeship (RYRA) aims to connect young people to the nation's second-largest private sector employer --restaurants--through industry apprenticeships like Restaurant Management and Line Cook, and complementary services that support growth and achievement.

RYRA is offered in Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana and Maryland. The program partners with State Restaurant Associations, ProStart and Restaurant Ready programs, education and training providers, and supportive service providers, among others.

Restaurant Management apprenticeship gain skills in restaurant leadership, operations, financial management, and marketing. Line Cook apprentices learn hard culinary skill sets, food safety and sanitation knowledge, and the fundamentals of inventory and supply management.

What are the career tracks?

Currently, there are two apprenticeship career tracks, Restaurant Manager and Line Cook, which offer benefits such as: on-the-job training in a restaurant setting; job-related education in a classroom setting or online; access to nationally recognized credentials from the restaurant industry and the USDO; and front-of-house and back-of-house knowledge.