Budding filmmakers and fashion designers were the guests of honor last week at an open house for the Art Career Pathway Program, a new job training and placement initiative. Conceived by Seedco, a community development organization, and Henry Street Settlement’s Workforce Development Center, the program held its first informational meeting at the Henry Street center on the Lower East Side Oct. 17. Roughly a dozen attendees–mostly high school and college students–munched on pizza and sipped soft drinks while listening to presentations about the program. The plan is to guide the young adults (ages 18-24) through a written skills assessment, a free arts-focused job readiness course, subsidized training, and placement in internships or full-time gigs in the creative sector. Several employers, including Fifth Line Group, a graphic design firm, and Dance Wave, a Brooklyn-based dance company, have already signed on, as have the Fashion Institute of Technology and New York City College of Technology. “Employment is the toughest because entry-level positions are occupied by people with lots of education,” said Sarah Eisinger, a senior program associate at Seedco. Hoping to cycle at least 150 youths through the burgeoning project in its first year, the program plans to organize similar get-togethers once a month through next May. (T. Adams) [10/24/05]