For anyone interested in behind-the-scenes work, Madison College offers a new certificate program called the Stage and Entertainment Technology Certificate. This certificate is 15 credits and by itself can be completed in just two short semesters, or it can be part of the Liberal Arts Transfer Associate’s Degree.
This exciting certificate prepares students for a wide variety of stagehand jobs. These jobs could include being a roadie for your favorite music artist, working on the backstage crew for theatre productions, helping out at your local place of worship with the live stream or working below-the-line for TV and film. The possibilities are endless!  This program is extremely flexible and is led by Kristi Ross-Clausen, who has worked in the field for many years in many different jobs.
While these opportunities can have extremely flexible part-time hours working “on-call,” there are also a variety of full-time positions available in the Madison area working for manufacturers, AV integrators and related businesses. The industry is open to everyone and is currently looking to expand its diversity by hiring more women and people of color.
To be admitted to the certificate, you must be admitted as a student at Madison College and be at least 18 years old due to the nature of the jobs and the time of day you may be required to work.
Students who choose this certificate will leave the program trained with a wide variety of skills and ready for entry-level work in many careers. There are many opportunities to gain experience in the field while in the program starting about midway through the first semester. The goal is for students to have hands-on experience both inside and outside of the classroom to learn the skills needed for success.
If this sounds interesting, email Ross-Clausen. As she says, “I absolutely love what I do and you can too, so come talk with me if you’re interested. You’ll never know what’s possible for you unless you ask.”
Email Ross-Clausen at: [email protected].