New Apprenticeship Will Train Underrepresented Workers in Museum Field

The (DAP) or Diversity Apprenticeship Program is an initiative that is dedicated to creating diverse and equitable workplace environments in the museum industry. The apprenticeship programs will focus on recruiting participants who come from underrepresented communities. The Los Angeles-based program covers a vast array of skills as participants will spend time working in a woodshop as well as operating heavy industrial equipment and tools that will help the process of art preparation and installation.   

“Luna-Peña is proud of the program and the “toolbox” training book they created that is the basis for all the skills learned by the apprentices. We've had institutions already mentioned to us that they're using the book as a training guide for their new art handlers as well.”

George Luna-Peña, Director of (DAP)

The program has gone on to help participants get full-time jobs within the industry as one participant Lance Brad Heart Bull who graduated from the program in 2019 has even become a full-time preparator at the newly opened Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Brad Heart Bull has gotten the opportunity to work on a plethora of historic items including props from films like Star Wars, Jaws, and The Wizard of Oz. The new program comes as a response to the head preparator noticing a lack of diversity within their hiring process sparking interest in enacting an apprenticeship program to fill their skill gaps. 

Read full article here: https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-east/arts/2021/12/16/diversity-apprenticeship-program-aims-to-train-workers-underrepresented-in-museum-field