LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Television City announced a partnership today with the nonprofit organization Streetlights to sponsor a new field of participants in a job training, placement and career advancement program for the entertainment industry.
The partnership is one component of what Television City representatives called the “Changing Lenses'' initiative, and it will take place at its media campus to prepare young people of color for careers in the business.
“Our goal in partnering with Television City is to continue increasing our highly skilled minority talent pool by placing more young people on projects as production assistants, then providing further advancement across all facets of the entertainment industry,'' said Dorothy Thompson, the founder and executive director of Streetlights.
“Our program gives these young people from diverse backgrounds more than just a start in Hollywood, but also their first step up the career ladder and we're grateful to Television City for setting an example of leadership and moving this vital program forward,'' Thompson added.
Television City is a media campus owned and operated by an affiliate of Hackman Capital Partner.
As part of Changing Lenses, Television City representatives said they will sponsor an incoming class of Streetlights trainees and will fund Streetlights' programmatic operations including community outreach to identify applicants, support services for low-income students, production training and career advancement services.
Additionally, Television City will sponsor the requisite hours of training and membership dues for a number of Streetlights graduates to be admitted into Local International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees 33 L.A. Stage Technicians and Projectionists union.
Trainees must complete 30 days of work to qualify for the union and Television City representatives said they will underwrite wages as well as initiation fees for trainees who are eligible to join any of the additional IATSE Locals.
“Streetlights has set the standard for below-the-line production training and has a proven and admirable track record of placing its graduates into premiere entertainment industry professions, which even includes an Academy Award-winner,'' said Michael Hackman, the founder and CEO of Hackman Capital Partners.
Photo: Getty Images