Ready to Rock! Career day interest exceeds space

A career day highlighting the live event industry has drawn more applicants than Rock Lititz can accommodate. 

The fourth high school students’ Live Event Career Exploration Day at Rock Lititz received 575 applications for the six-hour event Thursday. Rock Lititz said it has the capacity to accept 310.   

Students from every Lancaster County school as well as students from Maryland, New York, Washington, D.C. and California will get a first-hand look at how science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) play a key role in live event productions.  

 “Live Event production is a technical, creative, fast-paced industry, with opportunities for careers ranging from design to engineering, manufacturing to finance, scenic art to operations,” said Andrea Shirk, Rock Lititz president and CEO, who has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Management, in a release. “We want to give driven, creative students a hands-on opportunity to learn about the live event industry.”  

The increased level of interest in live event industry careers coincides with Rock Lititz’s plan for next-generation workforce development through its 22,400- square-foot on-campus educational facility, which is currently under construction. 

 The Academy of Live Technology (ALT) is a joint effort among Rock Lititz, Lancaster-based PA College of Art & Design (PCA&D) and UK-based Academy of Live Technology at Production Park (formerly Backstage Academy). 

Graduates of the four-year program will earn a BFA degree in Live Experience Design & Production.  

 During the Live Event Career Exploration Day, students will see interactive demonstrations from live event companies including pyrotechnics and special effects, performer flying, staging mechanics and sound/lighting rigging. 

 Professionals including show promoters, production managers and touring crew members will share their experiences and career paths.  

The event will be held on the 108-acre Rock Lititz campus, which was designed to promote creativity in a custom-designed environment for production professionals.