Workforce Development Initiative
Special Spotlight:
The Berkshire/Columbia Counties Pay Equity Project
Entry and mid-level arts and culture workers’ lives were precarious before the pandemic, and now their future in the sector and region is even more uncertain. People of color, and members of identity groups that have historically or are currently experiencing oppression, are dramatically overrepresented in this group. A coalition of fifteen (and growing) organizations are organized to raise up these voices, share compelling new data, provide concrete recommendations, and offer inspiring examples of institutions that are making meaningful changes. Equity has intrinsic value, but it is also true that the regional economy, and the vitality of artistic expression itself, depend on an equitable future for the arts and culture sector.
Our Organization:
Since 2002, our multi-county New York State organization’s professional Workforce Development Initiative (W.D.I) has been a very prosperous area of our operations. The 16-week program has been offering professional knowledge and experience to college, pre-college, and graduate students with professional onsite experiences in various areas of the nonprofit’s operations, with a high emphasis on Arts Administration. The program is renowned, locally, nationally, and internationally, for its reputation as a generator for eventual full and part time jobs and professional pathways for the participants of the program, both internally and externally.
Participants of the W.D.I. are offered work in the following departments: office administration, database development, advancement, events, arts programming, fundraising, marketing, communication, and public relations. The program is very flexible and adaptive to the needs and interests of the participants, which make it such a unique opportunity for young people at the beginning of their professional careers.
Institutional Partnerships Include:
• Cultural Vistas
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Rennes
• Korea West
• New York University
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Sciences Po Rennes
• Skidmore College
• Université de Nantes
Program Alumni:
• Abby Zeng
• Adam Feng
• Alec Shiman
• Aleesha Carroll
• Alexandre Villevandre
• Alyssa Duong
• Amanda Lawrence
• Anna Rogovoy
• Anna Savino
• Bianca Golden
• Blossom Kelly
• Brook-Lynn Castro
• Brooke Landry
• Bruce De Oliveira
• Campbell Ives
• Caroline Mazeaud
• Charles Hatta
• Chloe Auerbach
• Chloe Obach
• Clare Pearson
• Clarissa Fatturoso
• Danielle Im
• Deborah Corrales
• Delphine Barthier
• Diletta D’Antoni
• Dmitri Bouvier
• Ekaterina Petrova
• Elaine Clerkin
• Emily McMullen
• Emma Basco
• Emma Smith
• Erica Chang
• Erika Matz
• Eunbin Lim
• Eunseo Park
• Fernando Farias
• Gabrielle Centeno
• Gillian Jakab
• Grace Robinson
• Gregorie Lusson
• Haleigh Nelson
• Hsiao-Anne Lebot
• Ines Ladha
• Isabella Estrada
• Jack Tufts
• Jiwoo Kim
• Johanna Chollet
• Julia Giles
• Julia Hintz
• Julia Walsh
• Julius Powell
• Kate Patchett
• Katie Remark
• Lauren Luspo
• Lea De Saint Jean
• Lea Canfrere
• Lena Engelstein
• Mathilde Panhaleax
• Maxie Phung
• Michaela Doherty
• Morgan Hasson
• Noah Moore
• Nora Kovacs
• Nycole A. Nurse
• Olivia Kormos
• Olivia Rousey
• Paul Judin
• Phil Lanzetta
• Piper Beasley
• Rachel Bernstein
• Rachel Wilder
• Raina Tian
• Rainey Scarborough
• Remiah Sundine
• Sabine Bezier
• Sara Yossef
• Sarah Benoliel
• Sasha Marlan-Librett
• Sewon Kim
• Sheng Gao
• Sifan Wu
• Sofia Chaieb
• Solomon Mesiah Cort
• Sonya Speizer
• Soyeon Park
• Stephanie Weiss
• Talisa Vasquez
• Tess Deselle
• Titania McFarlane
• Tyfun Zaidi
• Vincent Moal-Dareys
• Will Christmann
• Ye Ji Kim
• Yifei Tang
• Yixuan Zhong
• Youngeun Go
• Yuri Hyun
• Nathanial Zampitelli