Washington, DC – April 30, 2025 – The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation is proud to celebrate National Apprenticeship Day alongside the U.S. Department of Labor, highlighting the critical role of apprenticeship in fostering career growth and skill development within the restaurant industry. This day underscores the importance of apprenticeship as a powerful tool for restaurant operators to build teams that last and contribute to a successful industry workforce.

With 15.7 million Americans currently working in the industry, restaurants are America’s second-largest private sector employer and a place that uniquely fosters alternative career pathways, often without a college degree. In fact, nine in 10 managers and 8 in 10 restaurant owners indicate they started their professional journeys at the entry level before working their way upward. Apprenticeship maximizes this environment by integrating the hands-on learning of a dining or foodservice establishment with formal benchmarks and industry-training standards that set individuals up for advancement and success in larger roles, including management and beyond.  

“The restaurant industry has nearly limitless pathways to growth. Through apprenticeship, we’re equipping employers to train and retain their employees, but we’re also ensuring that the people who call our industry home have the opportunity to grow and advance,” said Rob Gifford, president of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. “We are proud to join the U.S. Department of Labor in celebrating the role of apprenticeship in strengthening our industry and the entire American workforce.”

The Foundation’s apprenticeship initiatives are the result of a multi-year partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor that began in 2016 to expand apprenticeship opportunities in the restaurant and hospitality industry. In 2023, the Foundation was awarded a five-year $12.2 million Registered Apprenticeship Industry Intermediaries contract by the U.S. Department of Labor and designated as an inaugural Apprenticeship Ambassador by the Department of Labor.

To-date, the Foundation has partnered with over 165 employers through the apprenticeship programs in its Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center. The Foundation works with these employers to build customized training programs that uniquely empower their employees with skills, understanding, and credentials that foster careers. Nearly 2,000 people have graduated from one of these apprenticeship programs across restaurant manager, assistant restaurant manager, kitchen manager, assistant kitchen manager, and line cook career tracks. 

National Apprenticeship Day is part of a nationwide celebration hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor. Throughout the day, industry, labor, workforce, education, and government leaders will host events to showcase the successes and value of Registered Apprenticeship for building the economy. As part of its activations, the Foundation hosted a recent webinar highlighting the various ways employers are bringing apprenticeship to life. Watch the recording here. 

Learn more about the ways the Foundation is creating industry apprenticeship opportunities through its Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center.  

About The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) 

As the supporting philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF’s charitable mission includes enhancing the industry’s training and education, career development, and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower, and Advance today’s and tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready/HOPES – Partnering with community based organizations to provide people with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC) – accredited apprenticeship programs designed to build the careers of service professionals. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.

CONTACT:

Hannah Oliver
holiver@nraef.org