SLATE Launches First Registered Apprenticeship with Propel Kitchens

ST. LOUIS, MO — The St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) has been approved to serve as an Apprenticeship Intermediary, expanding the agency's ability to work with local employers and community partners to develop Registered Apprenticeship programs that connect St. Louis residents with paid, career-focused training.

As its first apprenticeship initiative in this new role, SLATE has partnered with Propel Kitchens to establish a Registered Apprenticeship program for Production Cooks. The program was approved by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship on August 6, 2026.

“This is an exciting step forward for SLATE and for the employers and job seekers we serve,” said Connie Johnson, Executive Director of SLATE. “By serving as an apprenticeship intermediary, we can help employers build structured pathways that prepare people for careers while developing the skilled workforce our community needs. We are especially proud that our first Registered Apprenticeship builds on our strong partnership with Propel Kitchens.”

The Production Cook Registered Apprenticeship is a one-year, competency-based program that provides structured instruction and approximately 2,000 hours of on-the-job learning. Apprentices will develop skills in food preparation and production, kitchen operations, sanitation and food safety, equipment use, inventory, menu planning, and other essential areas of the food service industry. Participants will also have opportunities to complete ServSafe Food Handler and ServSafe Manager coursework and earn a nationally recognized U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship credential.

Propel Kitchens, a St. Louis-area nonprofit training, education, and social enterprise organization, uses culinary education and food industry training to help residents build skills and access economic opportunities.

"This apprenticeship program represents exactly what Propel Kitchens was built for — turning real kitchen work into a real career path,” said Kisha Lee, President and CEO of Propel Kitchens. “Partnering with SLATE gives our trainees something we couldn't offer alone: a nationally recognized credential backed by the full weight of the City's workforce infrastructure. For too long, talented people in our community have had the skills but not the credential, the drive but not the door. This program opens that door. We're proud to stand alongside SLATE in making this official, and even prouder of the cooks who are about to walk through it.” 

SLATE's new intermediary role creates opportunities to develop additional Registered Apprenticeship partnerships with employers across St. Louis. Registered Apprenticeships provide paid employment, structured on-the-job learning, related instruction, and nationally recognized credentials while helping employers develop and retain skilled workers.

Employers interested in learning more about developing a Registered Apprenticeship program with SLATE can fill out an interest form at https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/slate/employers/index.cfm.

About SLATE

The St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) is the City of St. Louis' workforce development agency and Missouri Job Center. SLATE connects job seekers with employment, training, and career-development opportunities while helping employers recruit, train, and retain a skilled workforce. 

About Propel Kitchens

Propel Kitchens is a nonprofit training, education, and social enterprise developer focused on creating health and wealth through food. Its mission is to use nutrition, food industry training, and education initiatives to equip St. Louis residents and communities to address persistent economic and health inequities.