Announcement: Production Academy

Posted By: Alex Restrepo

Highly skilled and properly trained workers are the driving force behind a strong industry. 2112 is thrilled to support the work of the Production Academy and the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership’s (The Partnership) Opportunity Works program.  The Opportunity Works program places young adults in paid internships, exposes them to viable careers, expands their skill sets and connects them to the training and resources they need to achieve long-term employment in growing industries.
 
Together, the Production Academy and The Partnership are launching a new pilot program aiming to meet the demand of Chicago's thriving live entertainment industry, where the focus is on building a talent pipeline for employers to hire young adults who may have never considered a career pathway in entertainment.  The program includes eight weeks of hands-on training, industry exposure, paid work experience, career mentoring, support services, and a rapid connection to developing a career pathway. One of the key goals of the project is to create access for talented young adults who are not working and not in school. 
 
The Production Academy is focused on providing exceptional training utilizing the latest technologies available relevant to the entertainment industry, such as stage design, lighting, sound engineering and more.  Our world-class instructors provide students with highly transferable skills to meet the growing demands of multiple industries. Production Academy is located the within the 160,000 sq. ft. of Fort Knox Studios creative ecosystem that includes 2112, Chicago’s first entertainment industry incubator. 
 
Created in 2012, The Partnership is an umbrella organization operating the public workforce system in the City of Chicago and Cook County. The Partnership combines federal and philanthropic resources to broaden the reach and impact of workforce development services for both employers and job seekers. As the largest workforce development system in the nation, The Partnership has helped place more than 60,000 individuals in employment, collaborated with more than 2,000 employers and administers more than $200 million in federal and philanthropic funds.