Announcing the Pathways to Careers in Foodservice Program
Restaurants and foodservice operators are invited to register for the Pathways to Careers in Foodservice program, in order to access Hiring Grants and Subsidies that support recruitment, training, and workforce development through the employment of individuals from under-represented groups. Participating restaurants and foodservice operators can also access support from Restaurants Canada to establish talent pipelines in their communities.
These grants and subsidies are available to cover the cost of hiring and in-house training for the following hospitality operations:
- Front of house (point of sale employees, wait staff, hostess/host, bartenders, supervisors, management)
- Back of house (cooks, chefs, line-staff, dishwashers/prep-cooks)
The Hiring Grant is also available for existing employees from the same groups to support upskilling to other positions (i.e., into supervisor or management positions).
The following supports and services are available to participating restaurants and foodservice operators:
- Hiring Grants: $1,000 for each new permanent hire (non-seasonal, non-contract) made as of May 1st, 2024, of an employee from the specified under-represented groups.
- Training Subsidies: An additional $1,450 for each staff hired from the specified under-represented groups as of May 1st, 2024, that has been retained for a period of three-month (to offset the costs of the training and orientation period).
Eligible under-represented groups are defined as:
- People with disabilities (including learning disabilities and those experiencing mental health)
- Youth under 25
- Women
- Newcomers
- Indigenous
- Racialized
- Justice involved and at risk
- 2SLGBTQI+
Restaurants Canada’s Project Director will work with participating restaurants and foodservice operators to establish talent pipelines through employment service providers in their communities supporting talent pools of job seekers from diverse demographics, as well as those operating sector-specific training programs for job seekers (where available). These supports are available to all participating restaurants and foodservice operators that register for the program, whether accessing Restaurants Canada’s grants and subsidies or not.