Apprenticing under experienced professionals has long been crucial for skill building and advancement across industries. As an executive chef at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, I know from experience that the restaurant and foodservice industry is no exception. I am watching first-hand how apprenticeship is driving career growth and teaching the skills, strategy, and passion that the next generation of foodservice professionals need to climb my industry’s career ladder.

My path was paved by dedicated teachers, mentors, and chefs who took the time to share their knowledge and experiences with me – both positive and challenging. I was born in Vail, Colorado, and grew up on the Front Range, but it was summer visits to my family in the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun Country that lit my culinary spark and instilled the understanding that cooking and learning go together. On those trips, I learned how to create a delicious crawfish etouffee, while experiencing the power of learning under people who are passionate about their culinary craft.

Today, as an executive chef, I get to feed others and, hopefully, pass on some of my culinary knowledge to those who work with me. It is this same spirit of mentorship and personal investment that makes apprenticeship so valuable to the foodservice industry and to the team I lead at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. While visitors to the museum come to explore dazzling gems and minerals or stand close to a Tyrannosaurus Rex, they’re probably not aware of the culinary team being fueled by apprenticeship in the nearby kitchen.

Thanks to a partnership with the Colorado Restaurant Foundation and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship (HSRA) program, which it operates through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, I’m currently mentoring a team of talented culinarians through a training program that I helped customize for the museum. While my team is gaining proficiency in culinary skills, they’re also soaking in the nuanced understanding that comes from the immersive, hands-on experience that a foodservice establishment like the museum offers.

This approach has proven exceptionally beneficial in cultivating career-level foodservice knowledge and skills outside of a traditional classroom. Not only have I had the chance to upskill an individual who was already established in foodservice, I’ve been able to recruit new apprentices who were working the cash register but wanted to become cooks. Together, we’ve done it all, from preparing a whole pig in the cochon de lait tradition of my Louisiana family to preparing foods like pizza and sandwiches at scale for our museum visitors.

While I’m paying forward the investment that people made in me, I also know that I’m equipping these people to grow as the next generation of executive chefs. Tapping into registered apprenticeship is future-proofing our team, minimizing turnover and increasing retention. We’re training and aligning staff toward the museum’s cultural and operational needs – from the casual fare at the T-Rex Café to the upscale seafood and salads served at weddings and private dinners – and we’re stabilizing our workforce and supporting culinary career paths.

There are more than 130 other foodservice employer partners like the museum, located in 46 states across the country, who are using apprenticeship to upskill their teams through the NRAEF’s initiatives.

Spanning line cook, kitchen manager, assistant kitchen manager, restaurant manager, and assistant restaurant manager training tracks, we’re investing in people who want to stay and grow in the range of careers that the foodservice industry offers and solving the staffing and retention challenges all restaurants face.

My love of cooking may have started with my family in Louisiana, but it has come full circle as executive chef at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science – and apprenticeship is a big part of that cycle. It is gratifying to see that while I’m exercising my creative culinary juices in the kitchen, I’m also fueling skills and career growth for up-and-coming members of the foodservice industry.

Chef Simone Guidry is the Executive Chef at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. She received her Bachelor of Arts at Johnson & Wales University. Learn more about apprenticeship at ChooseRestaurants.org/RHLC.