While the Los Angeles region’s creative economy accounts for nearly 800,000 jobs and $60 billion in wages earned[1], many communities continue to face barriers to entering the creative workforce. Developing work-based learning opportunities and career pathways for young people (with an emphasis on students of color, low-income students, LGBTQ students, students with disabilities, current/former foster youth, and youth on probation) is a key funded recommendation of LA County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative (CEII).
In June, the Arts Commission launched a field scan to examine the current landscape of career development opportunities for youth in the arts and creative industries. To date, Thomas P. Miller & Associates has conducted four focus groups (three with youth) and approximately 60 interviews with stakeholders in LA County’s creative economy have taken place to gain first-hand insights about career pathways, opportunities, and barriers.
The vision is for all LA County youth to have access to information, resources, opportunities, and systems that lead to successful employment in the creative workforce. The goal is build a coalition of stakeholders interested in or already engaged in activities that support youth access to the creative workforce to identify, align, and leverage resources to provide youth, ages 15-24 years old, with concrete entry points into the creative workforce.
[1] 2018 Otis Report on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region and the State of California