In an era when even entry-level jobs can require candidates to have prior experience, finding that first job can be challenging. And the struggle can intensify for those without a college degree to display on their resume. Enter the Princeton Production Workforce Training (PPWT).
PPWT is a summer program aimed at local community members with a goal to provide an early career cohort of workers with a highly in-demand and transferable skill set that does not require a college degree. In turn, these workers will be qualified to fill casual labor opportunities at the Lewis Center for the Arts (LCA) in the Program in Theater & Music Theater, the Program in Dance, and Princeton University’s Department of Music, as well as McCarter Theatre Center, Passage Theatre, and a variety of local professional presenting organizations, setting them on a dynamic career path.
The program will provide hands-on training to four fellows over a period of four weeks, equipping them with entry level production skills in theatrical lighting, audio and wardrobe, as well as safety and workforce readiness training. The program aims to support the Lewis Center’s action-based commitment to diversity and inclusion by removing barriers and providing an opportunity for students from all backgrounds, including those from underserved local communities, to train for highly in demand positions as Theater Production Professionals.
There will be no fees required for this program and the fellows will be paid minimum wage per hour, as well as provided a transportation stipend to cover their commuting cost to and from training at the Lewis Center for the Arts.
Applications for the program are due Friday, February 13, by 5 p.m. Interviews take place the week of March 9, and applicants will be notified by April 13.
A mandatory program orientation takes place Wednesday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The program runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, from June 1 through 26. Participants must be available on all of those dates.
Applicants must be residents of New Jersey and legally eligible to work in the U.S. Applicants should be able to lift up to 50 pounds, work in dark spaces with loud noises, and stand for up to 2 hours at a time.
Email Tess James at tj4@princeton.edu with any questions or requests for more information. Visit arts.princeton.edu/academics/theater/princeton-production-workforce-training to learn more or apply.
Princeton Production Workforce Training participants Noni Burke and Aven Rivas work in the Wallace Theater during a sound workshop.Photo by Jon Sweeney,
