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For Immediate Release
November 21, 2024
LA County Department of Economic Opportunity Expands BRIC Foundation's Arts, Media, & Entertainment High Road℠ Training Partnership With $1.5M Investment to Reach New Low-Income, COVID-Impacted Communities
Los Angeles, CA – In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week, LA County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and BRIC Foundation, in partnership with the South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB), are proud to announce a $1.5M investment in the Arts, Media & Entertainment High Road Training Partnership (AME-HRTP), expanding access to high-quality training, technical support, and career pathways for underserved communities, specifically participants residing in COVID-impacted areas in Los Angeles County.
Building on the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB)’s $3.5 million investment in the BRIC AME-HRTP and DEO’s overall broader $37.47 million investment in HRTPs across many industries, the $1.5 million expansion will support the state’s first large-scale initiative that bridges education and training with employment to drive economic mobility for underrepresented arts, media, and entertainment workers.
“Los Angeles County is proud to invest $1.5 million in the Arts, Media, and Entertainment High Road Training Program, supporting 495 apprentices in the creative economy. This program equips participants with the skills and experience needed to succeed while fostering innovation and inclusivity in a vital economic sector. Together, we are building a creative workforce that reflects the diversity, creativity, and resilience of our communities," said LA County Board Chair Lindsey P. Horvath.
"Arts, media, and entertainment are major drivers of our region's economy, but not all Angelenos have access to the high-road careers these industries offer. The County's investment in expanding the Arts, Media & Entertainment High Road Training Partnership will open up career pathways for communities that are currently under-represented in the creative economy and broaden the pipeline of home-grown talent to support the industry's continued growth," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.
“With this $1.5 million investment in the impressive AME-HRTP, DEO is proud to join the regional effort and support expansion of training and career pathways in the creative economy for historically disinvested communities,” said Kelly LoBianco, Director of the Department of Economic Opportunity. "This partnership will now drive economic mobility for an additional 100 participants for a total of 495 apprentices, building on the County’s investment in the proven HRTP model, supporting statewide Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAP) goals locally, and strengthening LA County’s leadership in the global entertainment industry. Together we’re helping to maintain Hollywood’s competitive edge while building a more inclusive and resilient workforce for the future.”
Launched in 2023 and made possible through the CWDB, the BRIC AME-HRTP supports a network of RAPs and community-based organizations to facilitate paid on-the-job training, mentorship, career coaching, and ongoing support for participants by targeting high-skill, high-wage jobs across the state’s Film/Television, Animation, VFX, Games, Music/Audio, Live Events and Entertainment industries. In addition, it supports the establishment of entertainment industry union training and mentorship programs leading to more union work.
The $1.5 million investment will support the enrollment of 100 participants in RAPs and ensure 75 participants secure unsubsidized employment post RAP in creative economy job opportunities. DEO’s investment will also fund employment and union coordinators to serve the entire HRTP to inspire individuals to pursue AME careers and bolster placement into family sustaining wage careers and apprenticeships. To date, the BRIC AME-HRTP has:
- Provided mentorship to 41 participants
- Enrolled 183 participants in training programs or Registered Apprenticeship Programs
- Placed 81 participants in industry jobs
- Served a diverse population: 42% of participants identify as female, 42% as BIPOC, and 31% as low-income
“We’re grateful for DEO’s investment in expanding the scope of the AME-HRTP,” said Nicole Hendrix, Executive Director of the BRIC Foundation. “The AME-HRTP is a shining example of what’s possible when government, industry, nonprofit, and education leaders come together to make a positive impact on the creative economy.”
"This investment marks a significant step forward in connecting more individuals to meaningful career pathways in some of the most impactful industries of our time,” said Jan Vogel, CEO of South Bay Workforce Investment Board. “By expanding the AME-HRTP, we're not only helping to revitalize communities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but we're also laying the foundation for a more inclusive, diverse workforce in the arts, media, and entertainment sectors."
DEO’s investment, made possible by the LA County Board of Supervisors and its prioritization of American Rescue Plan and Care First Community Investment dollars for youth, workers, small businesses, and major industries, is part of a larger $37.47 million allocation in HRTPs intended to serve more than 1,600 trainees, 1,360 graduates, 1020 new hires, and yield job quality, equity, and sustainability for the region. The LA County HRTPs are modeled after the California Workforce Development Board's HRTP demonstration project, which has now awarded $248 million to 93 projects since 2017.
This investment marks a new joint effort led by DEO, BRIC, and core training service providers Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), Group Effort Initiative (GEI), and Music Forward Foundation to provide increased employer engagement and union training support, helping connect more program participants to industry job placements. The additional funding will also bolster union pathway initiatives by supporting apprenticeship efforts in film and television, and establishing a new International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Union Liaison position that will help raise awareness about RAP and HRTP as models for supporting diverse populations in union training and jobs, and educating HRTP participants on unions, union crafts, and union pathways.
In addition to increased union support, DEO’s investment will help strengthen the AME-HRTP’s ecosystem of Registered Apprenticeship Programs, which include BRIC’s Animation, VFX, and Gaming (AVG) Youth Apprenticeship, Events Vocational Education Network’s (EVEN) Live Events Apprenticeship, Keycode Education’s Post-Production Engineering Apprenticeship, Music Forward Foundation’s Music & Live Entertainment Apprenticeship, and The Handy Foundation’s Unscripted & Scripted Production and Post-Production Apprenticeship.
The AME-HRTP network includes IATSE Locals 80, 695, 705, 800, and 839; Professional Musicians of California, Barcid Foundation, Better Youth, EVEN, GEI, The Handy Foundation, Jail Guitar Doors, Keycode Media, ManifestWorks, Music Forward Foundation, and Women in Animation. To learn more about BRIC Foundation’s AME-HRTP program, please visit bricfoundation.org/ame-hrtp.
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About DEO: The LA County Department of Economic Opportunity, launched in July 2022, helps job seekers, entrepreneurs, small businesses, major industries, and communities access life changing opportunities, and is also home to the LA County Workforce Development Board and 18 America’s Job Centers of California. Stay connected with DEO! Follow @EconOppLA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, subscribe to our newsletter, or visit opportunity.lacounty.gov to learn about DEO services. For questions related to High Road Training Partnerships, please contact DEO at hrtp@opportunity.lacounty.gov.
About BRIC Foundation: BRIC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit company dedicated to increasing representation in Entertainment, Gaming, Media and Tech. Founded in 2018 and led by Nicole Hendrix and Alison Mann, BRIC Foundation was created to change how entertainment companies approach and discuss hiring around diversity. By teaming up with Education, Government, Non-Profit, and Industry partners, BRIC is proud to be creating equitable pathways for future generations of diverse creators to tell their stories and make an impact on the world. To learn more about BRIC, visit https://bricfoundation.org or follow @bricfound on social media.
About California Workforce Development Board: The California Workforce Development Board forges partnerships with businesses, labor, and government to build a High Road economy defined by equity, quality jobs, and climate resiliency that challenges systemic barriers toward shared economic prosperity.
About South Bay Workforce Investment Board: The South Bay Workforce Investment Board is a nonprofit organization and has been a leader in workforce innovation, earning national awards for its exceptional performance in employment and business services across Southern California. Recognized as one of the highest-performing Workforce Investment Boards in California, SBWIB has successfully connected job seekers with training and employment opportunities, while supporting local businesses with talent recruitment and workforce development. Its impactful programs in high-demand industries like healthcare and technology have contributed to regional economic growth and workforce resilience. Notably, SBWIB became the first workforce board in the U.S. to register a non-traditional apprenticeship program nationally, further cementing its role as a trailblazer in workforce development.
Contact:
Lara Arsinian, DEO Head of Marketing & Communications
press@opportunity.lacounty.gov or 844-777-2059
Sarah Park, BRIC Foundation
pr@bricfoundation.org or 732-939-1165
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