Young adults interested in pursuing a management career in the restaurant and hospitality industry can get the training they need for free, and get paid along the way.

The Restaurant Association of Maryland is using funding from a series of grants for a Restaurant Manager Apprenticeship program. It is a two-year program that includes on-the-job training and coursework, and when the apprentices complete the program, they will be qualified to work in a management job.

It is also free to restaurants who agree to serve as those training grounds, and the Restaurant Association of Maryland expects 100 restaurants or more will be anxious to participate.

“The restaurants get a dedicated employee who is interested in being in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Management positions are among the most sought-after positions, yet they are also the most difficult to fill,” said Marshall Weston, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland.

Candidates who apply for apprenticeships and are chosen will be paid a starting wage of $17 per hour. Upon successful completion of the two-year program, they are guaranteed a pay of $25 an hour. The program allows for young people to begin training even while still in high school, with guardian permission.

The apprenticeships are also “competency-based,” meaning an apprentice needs to demonstrate an understanding of what restaurant management entails. “How to reconcile a cash drawer, to communicate with customers and handle complaints, creating employee schedules and employee communications and team building,” Weston said.

There is a probationary period once the apprenticeship begins. Work requirements are 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. The coursework requirement is a minimum of 144 hours per year.

The vast majority of Americans have worked in a bar or restaurant at some point in their lives, but most often early on in their working years, and not always with intention of making it a career. This program wants to clear barriers.

“We are trying to define a clear path for young people to get into the restaurant and hospitality industry as careers, and sometimes, it is not abundantly clear on how to do so. So this is a step-by-step process,” Weston said.

There is no requirement for enrolling in formal higher education classes. The classroom is the restaurant. The coursework is all online. “And that was purposeful on our part because we understand in the restaurant industry, working hours need to have flexibility, and everybody’s every day life needs to have flexibility as well,” he said.

Restaurant operators and job seekers interested in the apprenticeship program can apply now online. The first apprentices are expected to be enrolled by June 30.