Kirk Watson: “The entertainment industry in Los Angeles is what the auto industry is to Detroit or the oil industry is to Houston, a…”

“The entertainment industry in Los Angeles is what the auto industry is to Detroit or the oil industry is to Houston, a source of skilled, high-wage jobs for average working class families. The On Location training program at West Los Angeles Community College seeks to make sure that Los Angeles youth get the skills they need to fill these jobs. The skills we are talking about here are film editing, electrical wiring, lighting, and set design and construction. At a time when more and more film production is moving offshore, this program ensures that L.A. retains its number one competitive advantage, the highest quality film production workforce in the world. Young people in Los Angeles County suffer from one of the highest rates of youth unemployment and violence in the Nation. At last count, the unemployment rate for young people in L.A. County was close to 12 percent.”