Apprentice Services Director

The AICA, now in its third year, is an intensive education and apprenticeship program, in which participants are paid to learn and work in the technical theater field. Seventeen of the leading arts education organizations in the city, led by The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts, Life Pieces To Masterpieces, and the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, have teamed up to train young adults who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic to enter DC's creative economy. Through an intensive education and apprenticeship program in technical theater, 26 young adults will be prepared for careers as offstage theater professionals whose roles include lighting and audio engineering, set construction, scenic painting, rigging, and stage management. Participants receive three months of course instruction, M-F, 12:30-6:30pm followed by three months of apprenticeship work (typically nights and weekends), resulting in nationally recognized certifications in lighting and sound and qualifying them to work as overhires in the high-demand, high-wage field of theater production upon graduation. Program graduates are currently working at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Studio Theatre, Mosaic Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington Stage Guild, Design Foundry and many others, and, through the IATSE Union, with Capitol One Arena and Northwest Fed Field on major concerts and events.

DUTIES/SCHEDULE: The Apprentice Services Director will meet with student apprentices individually and in groups to promote student apprentice well-being through mentorship, career counseling, community building practices, and outside resource referral. Issues for which student apprentices may need resource referrals and assistance span a wide range, but may include housing and food insecurity, mental health needs, childcare, domestic violence victimization, and disability accommodations. During the initial 3-month training period of the program, the Apprentice Services Director will meet regularly with apprentices, both individually and in groups, to provide support and guidance on such topics as work/life balance, financial stability, interpersonal dynamics, and any other issues apprentices might introduce and work closely with the Program Director to create individualized support and progress plans. Once apprenticeships have begun and through the end of the calendar year, the Apprentice Services Director will meet with students weekly to go over their work commitments and schedules, to discuss challenges or issues they are encountering in the workforce, to strategize around securing unsubsidized employment opportunities, and to discuss any other issues apprentices might introduce. The Apprentice Services Director will meet weekly with the Program Director to discuss student progress, concerns, and necessary accommodations.

The Apprentice Services Director will report directly to the Program Director.

If you share a passion for developing skills in people and communities and enjoy the challenge of helping to support young adults in an innovative workforce development program in the arts—then we want to hear from you!

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Excellent interpersonal skills–must be able to connect with young adults who have previously encountered obstacles in school and work environments
• Experience providing counseling and/or intensive mentorship to youth and/or young adults
• Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to track and communicate student issues, needs, and progress
• Experience working with diverse constituents, teams and colleagues
• Alignment with the D.C. Arts Education Alliance’s commitment to antiracism and social justice
• Experience connecting people to social service resources a plus