KC IMAGINE TO START REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
Film crew members work on a video production project at Outpost Worldwide, a premier KC video production company.
The Kansas City Institute for Media, Animation & Graphic Innovation in Education (KC IMAGINE) has been working with the Department of Labor and others to develop a registered apprenticeship program that would offer entry level jobs in digital media for youth from Kansas City’s urban core. The program would be hosted at the renovated Laugh-O-gram Studio at 1127 East 31st Street once construction is complete. This location would allow the program to draw candidates from an area of Kansas City often underrepresented in the region’s digital media industry. A 2020 KC IMAGINE survey of KC firms revealed that only 31% of respondents reported that their firm was able to achieve a diversified workforce for digital media workers.
The program’s name is the VOICE Registered Apprenticeship Program. VOICE is an acronym for Vital Opportunities in Communications & Entertainment. The VOICE program will offer registered apprenticeships for these six jobs over the next three years:
· Digital Video Editor
· Multimedia Producer
· Digital Marketer
· Camera Operator
· Web Developer
· Audio Engineer
Kansas City has a lively and growing digital media industry. A 2024 study by the Missouri Department of Economic Development reported that there are just under 33,000 jobs in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. An interesting finding is that 47% of those jobs are not within KC’s digital media firms. Digital media jobs are needed in most organizations. Digital media jobs in KC have grown 24% in the last decade.
How It Works
KC IMAGINE works with regional firms who provide direction on the skills and competencies required for each position. Apprentice candidates then receive foundational training through the VOICE program before they are offered a one-year apprenticeship at a participating employer firm. During that apprenticeship, they receive approximately 2000 hours of structured on-the-job training with a mentor at the hiring firm. They also receive 144 hours of related instruction from VOICE program instructors with specialized skills in their job category. The apprentice is a W-2 hire who “earns as they learn” their job at a lower-than-average payroll rate set by their employer. After the apprentice completes their on-the-job training hours and related training hours, the employer can choose whether to keep the apprentice as a permanent hire. Either way, the apprentice completes the program with a nationally recognized industry credential that can open doors for entry level employment.
Employer Benefits
Firms that offer these registered apprenticeships benefit in a number of ways. Because the apprentice learns their craft directly at the firm, the training is focused on the skills and competencies directed by the firm. This assures alignment of the candidate with the job needs, industry standards, systems and technologies of the hosting firm. The apprentice’s on-the-job training also sets them up to fit well within the company’s culture.
A key benefit for hosting firms is retention. Apprentices are 91% more likely to remain employed long-term than other workers. Registered apprentices are retained 2.5 – 3 years longer than traditional hires. This reduced turnover results in lower turnover costs for employers. Other costs savings include lower payroll costs. The payroll costs for apprentices are 20-25% lower than for a regular hire. Firms also save on recruitment and relocation costs. All of these cost savings along with higher productivity levels of apprentices result in significant improvements in profitability. The program can also help employers achieve greater diversity for their employee base while demonstrating their commitment to their community.
Efforts Underway
Ron Green and Gary Sage of KC IMAGINE have reached out to several organizations and agencies to get valuable direction and support for the project. A core team of advisors interested in mentoring candidates from the urban core helped identify program directions including this “hub” model for the program:
The Department of Labor (DOL) aligned our program with SAFAL Partners, a consulting firm contracted by the DOL to help guide our program development process. Angela Baker, our workforce development consultant from SAFAL has helped us meet DOL expectations and procedures. Wendy Levy, Executive Director of The Alliance for Media Arts & Culture, shared how their Arts2Work program has already developed registered apprenticeship programs for multimedia producers, digital video editors, and multimedia graphic designers. This is significant because few jobs in digital media have registered apprenticeship programs approved by the Department of Labor. We have also received helpful information and direction from proven apprenticeship program leaders on both sides of the state line: Tatia Shelton, Workforce Manager for Apprenticeships at Kansas City’s Metropolitan Community Colleges, and Keely Schneider, Executive Director for the Workforce Partnership (Kansas).
Ron Green and Laura Harsch, the Business to Education Program Officer for the Shawnee Mission School District, are meeting with Crystal Everett, the Program Leader for School Engagement at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, to initiate an effort to win broad support across KC’s digital media community for placing students in Real World Learning (RWL) projects, internships and registered apprenticeships. These placements are needed at three distinct levels:
1. High school student RWL projects/assignments
2. College internships
3. Entry level registered apprenticeships
Finding firms willing to make these placements has proven challenging. We hope to raise awareness of the value of these programs and how they can benefit participating firms.
KC IMAGINE is also identifying feeder programs for its new registered apprenticeship programs. A key partnership has formed between KC IMAGINE and Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas (MoKan Goodwill). MoKan Goodwill is developing a course on digital media skills for its Bridge to Technology program. That new course is scheduled to be offered mid-year 2025. KC IMAGINE is also connecting with educational and non-profit programs that feature STEAM training. These can be great resources for students who might be interested in pursuing an entry-level job in digital media through our registered apprenticeship program.
Contacts
· Ron Green, Executive Director, KC IMAGINE rronaldgreen@gmail.com
· Gary Sage, Program Advisor, KC IMAGINE gsageaukamp@gmail.com
Related Information
ApprenticeshipUSA Information: Explore Apprenticeship