Digital Workforce Training Must Also Include Helping That Workforce Find Jobs
What good does it do to train a young person for a marketable job skill if they can’t find a job – or worse – if that training doesn’t adequately prepare them for that job? That was a major consideration for us as we developed this program.
We know there are tons of jobs out there for “content producers.”
Companies marketing new products and services need content to promote those products and services.
School districts desperately need digital content to productively engage with parents – especially under local control requirements.
Colleges need to ramp up outreach to potential students to combat declining enrollment.
Cities are realizing the most effective path to full accountability and transparency is through digital platforms – especially social media.
Hospitals, fire and police departments, and especially big government agencies such as post office and the military are all significant producers of digital content for many obvious reasons.
Community media outlets – we used to call them “community newspapers” now live mostly online – all need multi-media journalists who understand the new world of digital journalism.
We worked hard to make sure our curriculum builds a strong foundation in digital content production. Once they’ve completed our training our graduates can compete for entry-level digital content jobs in several of these areas.
Don’t just take my word – listen to the people who hire digital content producers in the LA area. We have relationships with 25 potential employers in this region – and building new relationships every day. Their input has been invaluable in the development of our program.
Content is information and communication. When we talk about it from a communications and marketing standpoint - what’s most important is if it’s relevant. If it’s resonant to those who are the consumers of that content. If it makes sense. If it impacts their life. (If) It’s compelling to them. It must speak to them.
Val de la Garza
Managing Director - Fenton Communications
The technical skills are something that anyone can learn and anyone can develop some degree of proficiency and competence. But the ability to tell a story in a compelling fashion, the ability to emotionally engage and audience, I think there’s an art to that.
Dan Hutson
Chief Strategy Officer - Human Good
(Nonprofit organization operates 80+ senior living communities across the country)
It has created a challenge finding people who can produce content in Spanish especially in the health care field. We’re always trying find clinical and education and outreach staff. It’s not that easy, even for Los Angeles.
Norma Hernandez
Head of Marketing and Communications Center for Family Health & Education
E-government is here. Our constituents are going on Twitter, going on Facebook and they want an immediate response anytime they contact their elected officials. It requires us to have more than just me. A new position was created out of this need to respond immediately, a social media manager who is online all day every day responding to constituents on behalf of the council member because that’s what’s expected. It’s a new reality – a new normal.
Fredy Cejas
Director of Communications LA City Council District 1
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