Universal Studios Taps Public Housing for Jobs

Universal Studios Hollywood, in an effort to hire disabled workers for entry-level jobs during its busiest seasons, turned to public housing Wednesday.

Studio representatives at San Fernando Gardens, the only major public housing project in the San Fernando Valley, began screening job applicants for a federally funded program to help Universal hire 700 workers over the next five years.

It was the first time a major studio has recruited workers at a public housing project, officials said, and is symbolic of a new push by the city and studios into job recruitment and training in inner-city areas.

Other programs in the works involving, in part, public housing sites or the public school system include:

* A $2-million effort about to go before the City Council features 15 arts academies for teenagers, including one at San Fernando Gardens. The multifaceted program would include studio workers helping train students in animation, digital arts and other entertainment-related pursuits.

* High school teachers being trained in new media by studio workers in a program coordinated by the nonprofit Entertainment Industry Development Corp.

City officials believe more local talent could benefit from high-paying jobs in the booming multimedia and entertainment industries, and even from lower-paying work.

In the case of the Universal Studios employee search program, at least half of those hired must live in a federal empowerment zone such as Pacoima and have a disability, such as a substance-abuse problem, organizers said.

The jobs include cook, cashier, admissions host, parking lot attendant and ticket seller. The expected starting salary is minimum wage: $5.15 an hour now, rising to $5.75 in California as of March.

“That’s OK,” said Sergio Flores, 17, who said he has used a wheelchair since being shot in the back during a gang dispute in Watts last year. “I want to be a lawyer . . . I need money for college.”

Program administrators said those hired will not necessarily come from public housing projects.

Maria Martel, coordinator of the Universal Access program, said the studio expects to attract more diverse job applicants than it would by traditional job listings. Applicants must go to the studio for interviews before they are hired, she said.

The jobs, at least initially, will be seasonal. That means a job lasting about a month, starting at the end of February; three months during the summer, and a couple of weeks during the holiday season in December. After that, the workers will probably be moved to “on-call status,” calling in each day to see if they are needed.

Still, the recruitment visit, which was by appointment only, was encouraging to some residents and housing officials.

George McQuade, a housing authority spokesman, said the session was believed to be the first time a major studio had recruited at a local public housing site, aside from hiring extras or helpers while filming on location around the city.

Mario Matute, project director at San Fernando Gardens community service center, said more sessions will be scheduled as needed. Anything that helps open the door to jobs, even without guarantees, is beneficial, he said.

“What I hope is for the residents of this public housing to take the opportunity to get into the process for possible employment,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Rocky Delgadillo, who is leading the city’s efforts to increase multimedia activities, said the Universal Studios employee search and the other efforts all help.

“It starts there and there will be other efforts,” Delgadillo said. “There does need to be recognition of reaching out to the communities.”

Delgadillo said the arts academies and multimedia program is expected to be approved by the City Council within the next few weeks.

The program, which includes a pilot site already running at the Encino Media Center and participation by community colleges, carries a $2-million budget to cover operating and start-up costs for one year, Delgadillo said.

The program is expected to involve several hundred people, including youths who participate at any of the 15 academy sites throughout the city, high school or continuing education students who receive training in new media technologies at various other sites, and students at area community colleges who are trained in computer animation and visual effects, video and entertainment industry business.

“There’s a lot of energy going on in this industry,” Delgadillo said. “Everyone expects big things. We’re just hopeful that it’ll turn into lots of jobs for the community.”