WILMINGTON — This afternoon at EUE Screen Gem Studios, Gov. Bev Perdue will announce that her 2012-2013 budget proposal will include $1 million to launch a community college based workforce development initiative to continue fostering the skills and talents needed for the growing film sector in North Carolina. The funding will go to community colleges in Wilmington and Winston-Salem to develop and offer 10 new workforce training courses. The five-week program will train as many as 400 people for the private sector jobs that our growing film industry needs.
“Investing in education leads directly to 21st century jobs.,” said Gov. Perdue. “This initiative will leverage the growing film and television industry in our state and train North Carolinians for real jobs in this priority sector.”
Instructors for the program will be local film industry professionals who can teach skills for set construction, paint and plaster work, set dressing and props, camera work, wardrobe work, hair and makeup, grip work, electrical and production office support.
Since Gov. Perdue helped lead the passage of the expanded credit for the film industry, the sector has exploded in North Carolina landing blockbuster productions like The Hunger Games and Iron Man 3. 2011 was North Carolina’s busiest year with more than $220 million in direct spending by filmmakers, a 185% increase over 2010. Most importantly the resurgence of the film industry in North Carolina was meant thousands of jobs for crew members, talent positions, and extras.
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