First Partner Highlights Benefits of Youth Apprenticeships at COYA Grant Press Conference
Photo Credit: Earl Gibson, courtesy of the Handy Foundation/FPF
On July 8th, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom visited The Handy Foundation's innovative apprenticeship program, which provides training and career advancement opportunities to underrepresented individuals in the film industry. This event occurred in recognition of Black Women Equal Pay Day, highlighting how registered apprenticeships deliver tangible value to employers while creating career pathways for underrepresented youth-including women of color. During her visit to the Handy Foundation's offices and IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) Local 80's sound stage training facility, the First Partner met with apprentices, instructors, and industry partners including Netflix, Lionsgate, and Bunim-Murray.
Since 2020, the organization has trained 258 individuals, with 100 of them aged 16-24. After registering its apprenticeship program with DAS last November, the Handy Foundation has placed 43 youth apprentices in paid on-the-job training within professional positions on scripted and unscripted television productions while earning union-qualifying hours.
The Foundation's $1.2 million COYA grant will serve 216 participants across six specialized occupations including Assistant Story Producer, Data Wrangler/Digital Imaging Technician, Virtual Production Specialist/Program Assistant, Audio Editor/Recording Mixer/Sound Mixer, Post Coordinator/Production Finisher, and Assistant Editor. This addresses workforce challenges including an aging workforce and skill gaps in below-the-line roles.
The Handy Foundation's success demonstrates how apprenticeships solve critical business challenges while advancing diversity goals. Employers benefit from apprenticeships through access to a skilled talent pipeline and the ability to train workers tailored for their needs.
As California works toward Governor Newsom's goal of 500,000 apprentices by 2029, programs like The Handy Foundation demonstrate how strategic partnerships between industry and workforce development organizations create win-win solutions for employers and opportunity youth alike.
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August 2025