Restaurant Association Celebrates Milestone With New Credential Program

The National Restaurant Association is celebrating a major anniversary this year—and with that in mind, the group is looking ahead to the industry’s future.

The association this week announced ServSuccess  (opens in a new tab), a program to help workers find opportunities to build fulfilling careers in the field. The three-level certification program will include online training as well as assessment programs.

The program is designed to serve both restaurant workers and their employers. “Restaurant employees will be able to use their years of experience to jump-start their professional advancement by validating their skills and knowledge,” National Restaurant Association CEO Dawn Sweeney said in a news release  (opens in a new tab). “For restaurant operators, it provides the training and workforce solutions to grow business and service to their communities.”

There’s an important reason why the restaurant industry might be interested in doing more to improve retention and advance workers’ careers: Replacing employees is expensive. The association notes recent research from the firm TDn2K that placed restaurant turnover costs at $2,000 per worker—and $15,000 for managers.

ServSuccess offers a way for employers to boost retention, the association’s executive vice president of training and certification, Sherman L. Brown, added.

“Better training is better for business, so ServSuccess provides companies with a turn-key, customizable mix of products that build the people who build their business,” Brown said in the release. “And for those professionals ready to take their hustle to the next level, ServSuccess is here to serve them.”

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