Mara Prater, Director of Community Outreach & Marketing for the “Made in NY” PA Training Program, was tough on the audience. “I have to be.” she said, “It’s my job to make sure that they are prepared for the realities of the program; and that they don’t quit. The really must commit, in order to reap the full benefits and make a career out of this opportunity.”

The MADE IN NY Training Program is a free training program for people who seek entry-level job opportunities in the television/film industry. This sector creates 130,000 jobs for New Yorkers in an industry where education and criminal histories are not factors. To qualify, candidates need a winning attitude, and a desire to drive an automobile. However, the program is competitive. Each cycle, only a fraction of the applicants are accepted into this program which is designed to help low income residents, with barriers to employment.

Moises Rojas, 24, saw the opportunity listed on NYC Jobs. He was incarcerated for four years, and currently works as a cook. Rojas has a driver’s license and this training is exactly what he is looking for. “Working in this industry has always been a goal for me,” he said. “But I never new how to get there.”

Shannon Lawson, 30, is a Harlem native who currently resides in the Bronx. He is interning on a documentary and his boss referred him to the HCCI Made In New York recruitment. Lawson, who has a GED, has already made his own short films. Through Made in NY, this aspiring writer/director has a goal to “Learn about being a PA, network and work my way up in the industry”. Lawson will obtain his driver’s license through the Made in NY program.

HCCI will partner with “Made in NY” to host quarterly recruitment events. Sign-up here for future workforce development initiatives at HCCI.