Arts, Media, and Entertainment Industry Sector

Description

The California Department of Education (CDE) established the Arts, Media, and Entertainment (AME) industry sector to support high school students interested in careers in California’s thriving creative workforce. AME programs expand on traditional arts programs to include a comprehensive career readiness component. In 2024, the sector has grown to serve approximately 260,000 students and is the largest Career Technical Education (CTE) sector in the state of California.

Arts, Media, and Entertainment Industry Program Summary

The CDE AME industry sector supports high quality CTE training programs in K–12 and Adult Education settings.

CDE’s work with the AME sector aligns with SB-628 California Creative Workforce Act of 2021 , which establishes “creative arts workforce development” as a state priority. CDE works collaboratively with local education agencies, employers, workforce intermediaries, government partners, community organizations, training programs, labor partners, and postsecondary institutions to establish a system for building a more inclusive and diverse school to career pipeline and entertainment workforce.

CDE’s priorities for AME include the establishment of statewide work-based learning programs, a network of registered pre apprenticeships and youth apprenticeships, and mentorship programs for students in California public schools.

Program Objectives and Services

CDE services for the AME Industry Sector are located within the Academy, Apprenticeship, and Internship Office in the Career and College Transition Division (CCTD). The CDE assigned AME Industry Sector Lead and participating industry partners support implementation of a quality standards-based program of instruction for AME.

The specific services and program objectives include the following:

• Provide technical assistance to AME programs in California.
• Monitor the work of industry sector grant recipients and contractors for compliance.
• Coordinate and facilitate statewide AME industry work groups and advisory committees.
• Promote AME industry sector professional development activities including externships, conferences, and virtual workshops.
• Promote AME student activities in elementary and middle school career awareness programs.
• Support AME student leadership activities.
• Establish work-based learning programs and initiatives to connect schools to industry.
• Share innovative approaches to bridge K–12 education with the creative industry.

2024 Arts, Media, and Entertainment Industry Skills Framework.

CCTD’s AME Industry Advisory Board has put forward the 2024 AME Industry Skills Framework (ISF) (DOCX) as a guidance document for CTE alignment to statewide registered youth apprenticeship (RYAP) and pre-apprenticeship (Pre-RAP) programs.

RYAP and Pre-RAP programs prepare students for occupations in the creative industry. Please refer to the AME ISF document for definitions, course outline sequencing and curriculum alignment to Pre-RAP and RYAP. This document will aid CTE pathways in aligning with Pre-RAP and RYAP programs.

The document is intended to support CTE Pathways in incorporating measurable competencies and concrete student outcomes. The document supports curriculum mapping to essential workplace skills, interdisciplinary skills, and occupation-specific technical skills across seven Focus Areas. CTE programs can refer to the Focus Area that aligns best with their pathway.

The AME ISF document is intended to supplement, not replace, the AME Model Curriculum Standards. It will be revised and edited as new apprenticeship occupations are registered.

Arts, Media, and Entertainment Model Curriculum Standards Update

The AME Statewide Advisory Board, in collaboration with the California Department of Education Career and College Transition Division, has recommended the updated AME Model Curriculum Standards for State Board of Education (SBE) approval. The SBE Item will be presented later in the year, anticipating that the Standards will go into effect for the 2024–25 school year.

Draft 2023 AME Model Curriculum Standards (DOCX) was open for public comment from December 1, 2023–January 1, 2023.

Pages 1-49 of the AME ISF are inclusive of all revisions and updates made to the 2023 MCS draft.

The public comment period is closed.

AME Grant Programs

AME Demonstration Sites: The AME Demonstration Sites for the California Department of Education serve as examples of exemplary Career Technical Education (school-to-career) programs and as resources for California secondary schools wishing to develop an AME Industry Sector CTE program.

AME Workforce Training Programs: The California Department of Education’s AME Workforce Training program connects high school programs to industry-connected training and youth apprenticeship opportunities. High school campuses will develop articulated course sequences that prepare students for entry-level work. The program will establish work-based learning and internship experiences, public course content and curriculum, and pathway certification materials.

Hip Hop Education and Equity Initiative: The Hip Hop Education and Equity Initiative is a collaboration between state and local education agencies, post-secondary, and non-profit partners. Core elements of the initiative involve recruitment and mentoring of AME educators, and the establishment of culturally responsive and sustaining model course outlines and curriculum.

The California Film Commission AME Career Readiness Program
The California Film Commission (CFC) and the Entertainment Industry Foundation work in alignment with CDE to provide career readiness opportunities for California’s students enrolled in the AME industry sector. Through this partnership, film and video production companies provide a variety of “career readiness” opportunities for both students and teachers and receive a tax credit for filming in California.

Resources

• CA-AME Schools Webpage
• Arts, Media, and Entertainment 2013 Model Curriculum Standards (PDF)
• Arts, Media, and Entertainment High Road Training Partnership
• Entertainment Equity Alliance
• AME Institute