Great NH Restaurants Announces New Apprenticeship

Bedford, NH – Great NH Restaurants, the management company behind the restaurants Copper Door, T-BONES, CJ’s, and Cactus Jack’s, has developed a new culinary registered apprenticeship program in partnership with the ApprenticeshipNH program. ApprenticeshipNH is a grant-funded program housed at the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) which seeks to address workforce needs in industry sectors throughout the state by helping employers develop apprenticeship programs that meet federal standards. In launching this program, Great NH Restaurants will join a minority of New Hampshire restaurants offering an opportunity for career seekers to earn and learn in a registered apprenticeship.

“We chose to develop this program as an important way for us not only to invest in our community and give career-seekers an opportunity to advance in the hospitality industry,” said Dan Fraser, owner and chief operating officer for Great NH Restaurants, “but also because we saw it as an innovative way for us to respond to our hiring gaps. It’s more important than ever for us to be creative about how we hire and retain employees.”

The program will consist of 574 hours of classroom instruction completed over the course of three years at CCSNH member college. All required coursework is credit-bearing, and college credits earned by the apprentices are applied towards a certificate or associate degree offered by the participating colleges. The Registered Apprenticeship program at Great NH Restaurants also requires just over three years of on-the-job training at a restaurant, which equates to 6,000 hours. As cook apprentices, apprentices will learn with the support of a mentor how to prepare, serve, and plan a variety of menu items offered.

“This apprenticeship program enables participants to not only begin an exciting new career path in the industry, but also the opportunity to work towards a degree that allows the apprentices to learn and develop new skills while still receiving a paycheck,” said Emily Zeien, grant manager for ApprenticeshipNH. “Great NH Restaurants is demonstrating their commitment by developing this apprenticeship opportunity that allows employees to better themselves. Apprentices will have access to exceptional training and education resources that will prepare them to be successful in a new career,” Zeien said. “We applaud them for making such a significant investment in their workforce.”

Great NH Restaurants is now accepting applications for restaurant locations throughout the state. To learn more and to apply, visit www.apprenticeshipnh.com/opportunites or contact Tim Allen, director of kitchen operations for Great NH Restaurants, at tim.allen@greatnhrestaurants.com

About Great NH Restaurants

Great NH Restaurants, Inc. was created in 2008 as the marketing and management company solely dedicated to T-BONES, CJ's, Cactus Jack's, Copper Door Restaurant, and T-BONES Meats, Sweets & Catering. Its role is to provide each restaurant with the functions and efficiencies of a 'chain' while allowing each location to maintain itself as locally owned, independent restaurant, keeping the core values of serving quality, fresh, appealing products by a staff that feels more like family than employee, and wrapping our arms around the neighborhoods and customers that the restaurants take pride in being a part of. For more info, visit: https://www.greatnhrestaurants.com/

About ApprenticeshipNH

The ApprenticeshipNH Program, housed at the Community College System of New Hampshire, is a unique effort that prepares workers as Registered Apprentices to better compete in the modern workforce. Focusing on the Advanced Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Information Technology sectors, the ApprenticeshipNH Program provides workers with invaluable opportunities to pursue highly-skilled, high-paying jobs, and opportunities for employers seeking to build a qualified workforce in NH. The program is funded through a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. For more information, visit www.apprenticeshipnh.com

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