Apprentice Program Launched!
Youth Beat has officially launched an Apprenticeship Program to help recent high school grads get on a career path . . . and participants are already experiencing real world benefit!
Jovanny — One of Youth Beat’s first apprentices.
“I was excited about the Youth Beat apprenticeship because it helped me build these bridges that I could never find on my own,” says Jovanny, who participated in our first cohort.
Jovanny explains that he knew he wanted to become a filmmaker. But he could not afford college, let alone film school. He tried to build a career in film by himself, but found it really hard to break into the industry.
“Since I started the Youth Beat Apprenticeship Program,” he says, “I've been getting small gigs like once or twice a month and pretty much building those things that I could never find on my own for years.” Jovanny even got to work as a production assistant on a set with basketball superstar Stephen Curry!
These are exactly the kinds of things we wanted to make happen with the Apprenticeship Program.
The simple fact is that not all of our high school students are going to make it to 4-year colleges. We always encourage them to go that route. But some just don’t fit into traditional academic institutions. Others, like Jovanny, come from families that can’t pay for a 4-year college. So we have long recognized the need for ongoing training and support for Youth Beat’s grads -- as well as career path options for other Oakland young adults. Last fall, just 49.7% of OUSD graduates attended either a 4-year or 2-year college.
How does the Apprenticeship Program work? Each year, Youth Beat will run two 4-month cohorts of approximately 10 apprentices. Participants get intensive training on all aspects of professional videography -- everything from camera, lighting and audio work to editing and story composition.
The apprentices also get entrepreneurship training from Damon Johnson, our partner at the Oakstop Alliance. Damon, an accomplished entrepreneur, is helping apprentices develop their personal brand and crucial skills for networking, freelancing, and getting a job.
If YOU want to help an apprentice succeed, there are several ways you can help:
First, we’re going to need to find lots of internship opportunities for the apprentices! So if you know someone in the video business who might need some help, please let us know.
Second, if you know someone who needs a video made, please point them to Youth Beat PRO. This is our own professional production business that earns money to help support our middle and high school programs AND provides our apprentices and advanced high school students with exceptional, resume-building work experience.
Third, VOLUNTEER to be a mentor! Our apprentices and high school students need help working on resumes and cover letters!
Fourth, DONATE to help pay the experienced Teaching Artists who are training the apprentices. Your gift will also help pay apprentices stipends, which are critical to ensuring that the apprentices can make ends meet while they focus on training and skills building-- helping to vault these young creatives of color into an exciting, well-paying career field!