Young Entertainment Professionals
Class of 2025 Application

YEP 2025 seeks passionate and driven applicants at the start of their media and entertainment journey open to mentorship and to developing lasting relationships with industry leaders and professionals. A limited number of candidates will be selected for the program beginning in January 2025.

To be considered for the YEP 2025 Class, please fill out the application form and provide one recommendation from an employer or professional project supervisor if an independent. YEPs will be selected from a pool of all qualified applications by a jury of the HPA Women in Post, YEP and Mentorship Committees.

The deadline for applying is November 1, 2024. Finalist candidates will be contacted on or around November 18th to set-up a brief virtual interview. You will be notified in mid December if you have been selected as a YEP.

The Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) program nurtures the development of talented individuals at the start of their media and entertainment journey with mentoring and education, introductions to industry leaders, invitations to events, and access to resources that will further their careers. Through active participation in HPA, YEPs gain lifetime access to a community of peers and other professionals to help set the course of their careers in this industry.

YEPs have frequent opportunities to take center stage. YEPs have been seated on panels at the HPA Tech Retreat, produced a webinar series, and contributed columns to the HPA NewsLine e-newsletter. Throughout the year, we strive to open a space for each YEP in the HPA to a lifetime of professional community, networking and friendship. YEP Program participants will have access to a rich variety of in-person and virtual events throughout the year.

Incubated in 2015 by the Women in Post committee, YEP advances the organization’s goal of cultivating and encouraging the next generation of worthy entertainment professionals to follow a career in the media content industry whether creative, technical or project management/administrative.

Now in its 10th year, we have expanded the YEP program to provide even more immersion into HPA’s offerings and the M&E industry. The program will include two distinct sections. Section 1 will run for 6 months (January through June) beginning with the YEP orientation.  Attendance at the virtual YEP Orientation Program is mandatory and will be followed by opportunities to attend a variety of in-person and virtual events throughout 2025. The first opportunity to attend an in-person event will be the celebrated HPA Tech Retreat February 16 – 20, 2025 (more details to come). In addition, YEPs will receive an invitation to all virtual events and a complimentary pass to all in-person events that HPA hosts in 2025. YEPS will be expected to attend a minimum of 4 events (virtual and/or in-person) during their program year.

Section 2 of the YEP program will begin in June. Based on each individual’s participation and overall commitment to the program, the YEP class will be evaluated by the Mentorship committee for custom pairing with an Industry leader from late June to December, in addition to receiving free access to YEP and other HPA Community events.  At the end of the mentorship section, YEPs will be evaluated by the Mentorship committee for eligibility to receive the Certificate of Completion.