Center Theatre Group invites representatives from the Southern California higher education community to attend the free Workforce Readiness Symposium on Saturday, September 22, at East Los Angeles College from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Workforce Symposium is a daylong event for members of the higher education community who work with students studying theatre to connect with colleagues, learn more about hiring challenges and needs in the field and develop a collaborative framework for how best to prepare theatre students to go from college to working in their desired career pathway.

This event will begin with a series of brief presentations from Center Theatre Group and other employers, the results of a survey that collected information on career training from 300 local theatre program alumni, and snapshots of innovative campus career training models. After lunch, attendees will break out into working groups focused on different specializations to collaborate on best practices and suggestions around workforce readiness. Groups include Acting (including musical theatre acting), Arts Management & Administration, Costume Design & Technology, Directing, Lighting and Projection Design & Technology, Playwriting & Dramaturgy, Scenic Design & Technology, Sound Design & Technology, Stage Management, Technical Direction & Production Management, Department Chairs, Supporting Diverse Students and Community Colleges. The keynote speech will be given by playwright and educator Luis Alfaro.