End Black History Month on a High Note and Build a Bridge to an HBCU!

New SVG effort helps sports-production companies become more diverse

Black History Month ends tomorrow, and today is a great day to start connecting your company with HBCU students via SVG’s HBCU Bridge program, brought to you by SVG and YoSy Media. Its goal is simple: to make it easier for sports-production companies, broadcasters, leagues, and manufacturers to connect with qualified job candidates from HBCU institutions.

“We’ve created HBCU Bridge to be a concierge-style program,” says Ken Kerschbaumer, co-executive director, SVG, and leader, HBCU Bridge. “Those who work for the Bridge can understand your company’s needs and reach out to HBCU administrators, professors, and students to find the best fit. The broadcast industry desperately needs to become more diverse, and this program is designed to facilitate that.”

In recent months, HBCU Bridge has helped find runners and production assistants for a number of productions. But it can also connect manufacturers and technology-service providers with engineering departments, students, and more.

And best of all? Because the program is financially supported by SVG, there is no cost to SVG members and sponsors.

“SVG has been blessed with a ton of support from our members and sponsors,” says Kerschbaumer. “At the center of our mission is helping our members and sponsors solve the most vexing challenges our industry faces. Yes, some of the challenges are technical in nature, like the move to IP and cloud production, but others are cultural. And efforts like HBCU Bridge, SVGW, and even our those around substance use and mental health are important to the future of SVG and the industry.”

Here are the ways HBCU Bridge can help your organization:

Runners and production assistants: Are you producing an event within driving or walking distance of one of the more than 150 HBCU campuses? If you need a runner or production assistant, we can reach out to local schools and identify students who will be interested in helping out.

Expanding your internship application pool: If your company wants more applicants from HBCU institutions, we can help get the word out to students and recent graduates.

Finding new full-time employees: Let us know of full-time, entry-level positions that will be a good fit for an HBCU student. It doesn’t matter if it is behind-the-scenes, an engineering or marketing gig, or an on-air opportunity. We can help.

Getting involved is simple: visit this page fpr an Employer Application Form or reach out to any of the members of our team: Ken ([email protected]), Barbara Dunn Harrington  ([email protected]), or Yolanda Starks-White ([email protected]) with YoSy Media.