Cycle 13 celebrates its graduation from the "Made in NY" PA
Training Program. Photo courtesy of MOFTB.

April 1, 2009 - The number 13 was certainly lucky for the group of newly minted “Made in NY” Production Assistants as Cycle 13 became the latest class to graduate from the training program on February 27.

The “Made in NY” Production Assistant Training Program, developed in partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting and Brooklyn Workforce Innovations, prepares unemployed and low-income New Yorkers for entry-level positions in the film and television industry. The program provides four weeks of training, giving participants the skills needed to work on set and in production offices. Graduates also receive two years of job placement assistance.

Katy Finch, the program’s director, remarked on the elite group the new graduates have joined. The program has received over 2000 applications in the three years since its creation; with Cycle 13’s graduation, there are currently 162 certified “Made in NY” PAs.

“As the days go on, you guys shine more and more,” Finch told the graduates.

Before the certificates were handed out to the new “Made in NY” PAs, a photo slide show created by one of the graduates, Kaydin Sanchez, was played, which depicted the PAs working on a mock set as part of their training. Friends and family were also on hand to congratulate Cycle 13 on their new career paths.

To find out how to hire a “Made in NY” PA for your next production and to learn more about the program, click here.

A photo slide show from the PAs' time on a mock set played during the ceremony. 
Photo courtesy of MOFTB.