Get Lit Creative Career Lab

Access to tech and creative industry employment

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

According to the latest American Community Service data, there are over 143,000 young people ages 16-24 in L.A. County who are disconnected from school and work. This is 25,000 more than at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Disconnected youth are predominantly BIPOC, and disproportionately live in low-income neighborhoods and lack access to entry-level jobs and post-secondary education. Each of these disconnected young adults deserves the opportunity to engage and succeed!
We at Get Lit clearly see the skills, training, and connections that young people need to lift barriers to entry into the workforce. After two decades of serving young people, our organization wants to make sure that they are set on a positive and prosperous trajectory after high school by building a link to meaningful employment for and with them, as well as connecting them to any mental/physical health or housing organizations they might need.

Get Lit’s Creative Career Lab will provide under-resourced young adults in L.A. with professional-level media skills training, workforce preparation, portfolio development, networking opportunities, and placement in paid employment with our partners in the entertainment industry and nonprofit field.
Participants will not only receive training from Get Lit staff, but also mentorship from our professional partners. Past partners include FOX, Disney, VANS, William Morris Endeavor, the NBA, NBCUniversal, Netflix, FX, and Paak.house,
The Lab includes technical training in a wide variety of high-demand creative fields such as film production, editing, screenwriting, podcasts, social media campaigns, fundraising/development, music production, graphic design, and marketing. The program includes workforce preparation such as resume development, media literacy, visual presentations/pitching, communication and interview skills, and financial literacy; development of “soft” skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, and professionalism; career planning; portfolio creation and development; and professional networking and job search assistance.
The Lab will take place during four 12-week series during the year, at the Get Lit office weekly on Sundays from 10am-4pm, with lunch provided. Several career paths will be offered simultaneously, offering many choices for participants to explore.

Our ideal outcome is that the Creative Career Lab will be a model for valuing, buoying, inspiring, and training disconnected young people in L.A. It will connect young adults to mentors and employers, both through Get Lit and through our professional network. Each of these prepared, soul-fed young people will be placed in employment situations where they can excel and grow, ultimately uplifting all of Los Angeles. We envision this program growing and inspiring other organizations. Our goals for placement in long-term full-time employment are: Year One, at least 25 participants; in Year Two, 35 participants; and in Year Three, 50 participants.

Our goal is for 100% of Lab participants to receive practical and immediately applicable job and career training in creative media fields and to also connect to any whole-life services they may need through our social services partners. By the end of the year, participants will be able to perform a range of creative media jobs including fully producing short films, digital media campaigns, podcasts, web series, live events, and creating narrative content, depending on their focus in the program.
The cohort of participants will commit to the program for the entire year. We anticipate an enrollment of 70 youth, with at least 50 committing to the year-long training. Our goal is to place at least 25 participants in long-term full-time employment, and to place at least 25 participants in part-time employment.