How Apprenticeships Benefit Employers
I often hear from people these days, “It’s so hard to find and keep good employees. Many people are looking for jobs, but not everyone is looking for work – if you know what I mean.” This is a predicament that many businesses face, including the restaurant industry. However, offering apprenticeships in the restaurant industry is one way to address this issue. You may be wondering, how does an apprenticeship benefit the business owner/employer in a restaurant?
According to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, there are many benefits, not only to the apprentice but also to the employer. Most of us have had the experience of being in a job situation where we received little guidance or training. For me, this made the job I was assigned much more difficult, less enjoyable, and more stressful, and contributed to my being less effective and efficient at my prescribed job duties. The result was not favorable for me, as an employee, or for the business that hired me for the job, and led me to leave that situation quickly, resulting in high turnover for the business.
By providing guidance and training through apprenticeships, there is a reduction in time and cost of training for the apprentice. Apprentices are trained by someone who has a deep understanding of the culinary field and have time to dedicate to instilling knowledge and values. This also establishes a mentorship opportunity for current employees to share their passion and love for the culinary field with the people that are up and coming.
When apprentices are trained by someone who cares about the quality and culture of their field, it helps to mold them into a highly skilled employee who believes in what they are creating. This, in turn, helps to reduce turnover, thereby lowering the cost for the employer in training. Fostering a sense of values and accountability throughout the apprenticeship process leads to a higher level of productivity for the apprentice, which benefits the employer as well.
Apprenticeships also introduce a more diverse group of people to the environment by opening doorways and creating relationships that wouldn’t have been available otherwise. This helps not only the apprentice, but the community as a whole to experience a higher quality of living while still providing a more skilled and stable workforce for the business owner. It is a trickle down effect that benefits the individual (apprentice), the business (restaurant), and the community as a whole.
By training apprentices, chefs and restaurants are able to “control the message” and create a culture. By retaining these apprentices as employees, they are able to have more consistency in the kitchen, which results in better results for the customers. As someone who dines out often, I can tell you that as a consumer, consistency is key. If I know I can get great service, food, and an enjoyable experience every time I go to a specific restaurant, I’m very likely to visit there more frequently. By providing apprenticeships, restaurants are not only helping the individual, but also themselves by creating a highly skilled employee who is likely to stay around and contribute to the consistent service level the owner hopes to achieve.
Ben Vaughn is the founder and CEO of The Sow Project.