Discovering Skills Requirements
Regionally
The Interactive Internet and
Media Applications for Business (iima4biz) Initiative has three Regional
Centers that have developed employer, educational, and workforce partnerships
with the local community to identify necessary skills in the new media industry,
and develop training or workshops for employees that will help them develop the
required skills.
The iima4biz center at L.A.
Valley College, named IDEAS, has focused on
the regional entertainment industry by developing a close relationship with,
and workshops for, the 'below the line' craft unions and guilds associated with
production. Unions represented include Local 33 Hollywood Stagehands, AFTRA,
Local 800 Art Directors Guild, and Local 892 Costume Designers Guild.
Craftspeople on the panel include animators, agents, development executives,
on-camera talent, and post production talent.
Advancing skill levels between
productions is the only way that Los Angeles can stay competitive, as other
states and countries attempt to attract the industry that has employed
thousands in and around L.A. for 80 years. IDEAS is strongly supported by the
LAVC Media Arts Department.
The one-year-old iima4biz Center
at Hartnell College in Salinas, named the New Media Center, has
tackled the needs of this 75 percent Hispanic agricultural community, by
developing small business workshops and conferences on the effective use of web
technologies in both English and Spanish, which is spoken by 40 percent of the
adult participants. The workshops address digital literacy issues and help
bring older workers up to speed. The aggressive use of student internships has
furthered the Center's ability to bridge the skill gap between youth who are
comfortable with technology and older workers who have never had the
opportunity to fully learn it.
The iima4biz Center at North
Orange County Community College District has developed workshops in response to
the skills sought by local employers in web design and digital arts. Responsive
programs with the Anaheim Police Department and other local businesses have
helped focus the curriculum development. Optimizing resources with other EWD
Initiatives, the Orange County Digital Media Center
has operated one of the most successful contract education programs in the
California Community College system.
Statewide, iima4biz learns from
each center and identifies skill gaps from prominent research institutions like
PEW Internet Research; non-profits like Tu-Technologia, who work exclusively
with the Spanish language businesses; and MPICT (Mid-Pacific Information
Communication Technology) focusing on the larger ICT industry. Developing
effective programs that can be utilized by these centers and any other
community colleges throughout California is the goal of the statewide program.
For more information on how the iima4biz initiative is addressing
the new media skills needs of employers throughout the state, visit www.iima4biz.org, or
contact Statewide Director, Stephen Wright at (805) 496-8583 or swright@cccewd.net.
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