(Black PR Wire) ATLANTA — Georgia State University’s Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence has been awarded a $125,000 planning grant from JPMorgan Chase to prepare local youth for careers in the burgeoning film, media and entertainment industry in Georgia.

The Careers In New and Emerging Media Areas (CINEMA) Project will recruit 18- to 24-year-olds who are not in school and not employed to come to Georgia State’s campus, take courses and gain the skills necessary to secure entry-level positions in information and communication technology that could lead to successful, long-term careers in the film and media industries.

“The CINEMA project is an innovative solution to two pressing challenges facing Georgia today: The growing number of young people who are disconnected from work and education and the need for a trained labor force,” said Brian Williams, Crim Center director.

The Crim Center is partnering with the Atlanta Film Society, Georgia State’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and the university’s new Creative Media Industries Institute to design three seven-week classes, one four-week project-based learning experience and one four-to-six-week paid internship for participants.

CINEMA participants could also transfer the skills they learn in the project to other industries, such as marketing, communications and real estate development, which could address personnel gaps in these markets and contribute to the strength of the Georgia labor market.

“We want more people to share in the benefits of a growing economy by creating sustainable paths to careers that lead to prosperity and wealth for more individuals,” said Mike Passilla, managing director at JPMorgan Chase. “Atlanta is becoming one of the world’s fastest growing TV and film destinations and our partnership with the Crim Center will help our local youth have long, successful careers right here at home.”