Netflix and The Handy Foundation Launch Assistant Editor and Production Coordinator Training Program (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Angelique Jackson Netflix has partnered with the Handy Foundation, an organization that connects below-the-line workers to job opportunities in the entertainment industry, on a new program focused on representation among assistant editors and production coordinators.

Netflix and the Handy Foundation began piloting this program in 2022, helping train and identify talent for potential job opportunities on Netflix projects.

Among the programs where trainees have worked include “Selling the O.C.,” “The Circle” and “Perfect Match,” all popular unscripted series.

The career-building initiative is split into two tracks: an apprentice and assistant editors program, which provides a springboard toward future assistant editor roles and equips participants with post-production experience; and a production coordinator program which is a pipeline to a career in production management. “We created the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity to build new pathways for underrepresented communities and support the organizations committed to creating a more equitable environment within entertainment,” said Tiffany Burrell-Lewis, director of talent development at Netflix, referencing the streamer’s $100 million commitment to build pathways for underrepresented communities in Hollywood, announced in 2021. “Our partnership with The Handy Foundation is a testament to this work, with 17 trainees successfully finding roles on popular Netflix shows to date,” Burrell-Lewis continued.