This afternoon Governor Bev Perdue visited EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington to announce she’s including $1 million in her upcoming budget proposal to meet the state’s growing film industry needs. WHQR’s Sara Wood reports the proposed funds will be used to develop 10 new workforce training programs at one community college in Winston-Salem, and here in Wilmington at Cape Fear Community College.
Perdue says programs will last on average five weeks, training as many as 400 people each session. She says with the film tax credit, the state has been successful at production recruitment but weak when it comes to supplying local crews.
“We have so many movies under production that there are short-term losses of workers, some of the production companies coming in, there aren’t enough workers to go around. That’s a great problem to solve. And with a million dollars we can guarantee a steady stream of very specific workers for this industry.”
Perdue says local film industry professionals will teach construction and management skills for production, jobs that are in high demand. The General Assembly will consider her budget when it reconvenes in two weeks.