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LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Gwinnett Technical College is joining the film industry.
Starting in February, the school announced this week that it will offer pilot classes for the first semester of the Georgia Film Academy. Gwinnett Tech joins Clayton State and Columbus State universities, which will offer classes in January. There are plans to expand the courses to additional campuses, and Pinewood Studios in Fayetteville.
The Georgia Film Academy is designed to train people for jobs in the film industry is a partnership with the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia.
The state hosted 248 film and television productions in the state last fiscal year.
The academy web site said Georgia is third in the nation behind California and New York for number of productions. The industry is expected to grow by more than 3,000 jobs in the next three to five years. Many of the job are on set and average salary for those jobs is $84,000.
"On-set film workers are needed, but even entry-level jobs require a very specific set of skills," Jeffrey Stepakoff, executive director of the Georgia Film Academy said in a press release. "The Georgia Film Academy certification puts students on the fast track to gainful employment."
The pilot certification program is made up of two courses specifically designed to teach students on-set film production skills. One course combines classroom instruction and hands-on experience with industry standard equipment. The second course is a semester on-set where students learn and hone their craft while working on the crew of a professional production.
"We're very appreciative to be the first technical college to work with the Georgia Film Academy on this new certificate program," Gwinnett Tech President Glen Cannon said in a statement. "It's a testament to our outstanding programs at Gwinnett Tech and our proven ability to deliver quality education."
Cannon added that the school has worked on the partnership for about a year to participate in that growing media industry that offers plenty of "exciting careers."
Pending accreditation approval, the first class would be in the school's "Term C" which starts on Feb. 24, which allows for time to install equipment. Up to 30 students are expected to be accepted for the first class.
"We've seen a great level of interest in the Georgia Film Academy from potential students and anticipate these classes will fill quickly," Matt Arthur, deputy commissioner for the Technical College System of Georgia, said in a press release.
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Information from: Gwinnett Daily Post, http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com
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