ViacomCBS : Program Creating Nontraditional Paths for Career Experience

Many of the participants in ViacomCBS' new Content for Change Academy initiative didn't graduate from college or take the so-called "traditional" route to obtaining a job or internship. The longstanding process of going to college to land that first gig has caused systemic barriers that leave behind many diverse storytellers.

ViacomCBS teamed up with Reel Works and its MediaMKRS workforce development program-which aims to build a talent pool that reflects the diversity of New York City by matching young professionals with job training opportunities across media organizations, including ViacomCBS-for its Content for Change Academy. The program provides entry-level creative and production roles to young professionals, without requiring enrollment or graduation from a traditional college or university, with the ultimate goal of full-time employment following the three month program.

Marvin Hernandez, one of seven members of the inaugural Content for Change Academy, attended college briefly after graduating high school and quickly decided it wasn't for him. Instead, he looked to alternative programs that peaked his interest in video editing and the entertainment industry. He landed at Reel Works, a Brooklyn-based organization that provides emerging storytellers in underserved communities with mentorship for careers in media.

"I'm going the untraditional route," says Hernandez, who was placed on the production team for the CBS series Evil as part of the Content for Change Academy program. "I felt like I would hit a dead end a lot of the time, but programs like these pick me up and give me hope. It's such a great learning opportunity where I can really get my foot in the door."

The program is part of ViacomCBS' company-wide Content for Change initiative that seeks to apply scientific research, rigor, and data to transform the entire creative ecosystem across three pillars - 1) the content the company produces 2) the creative supply chain that powers it and 3) the culture that underpins everything ViacomCBS does.

"It is critical to open up nontraditional pathways and evolve our early career hiring models to further break down the systemic barriers that impact the representation of marginalized communities in our industry," says Crystal Barnes, SVP, corporate social responsibility and environmental, social and governance at ViacomCBS. "Through the Content for Change Academy, we are building on ViacomCBS' legacy of diversifying representation to write the next chapter of inclusive storytelling in the entertainment industry."

Hernandez, along with Tenia Hardy, Anfernee Villaroel, Dominick Berry, Brianna Cousins, Shamar Darden, and Georgia-Rae Lyken were all placed in various roles throughout ViacomCBS, including on the Velocity team, Paramount Network, CBS Sports, and BET.

The ViacomCBS Newsroom spoke to a few of the inaugural members during their first few weeks on the job to see how the experience was going.