The Australian live music industry is built on the people who work behind the curtain. From the audio engineer who balances the mix to the lighting technician who sets the stage ablaze with colour, live shows depend on skilled crew. Now, a new initiative spearheaded by CrewCare is giving the next generation of backstage talent the chance to break into the industry with real training and real jobs.
Applications are officially open for the 2025 edition of Pathways to Jobs in Live Music, a fully paid, hands-on training and employment program designed to bridge the gap between study and professional work.
Running from Monday 29 September to Wednesday 8 October 2025, the 10-day block is being delivered in partnership with Sound NSW and Creative Australia, taking place at key metro and regional locations across New South Wales. Participants will receive training in all the essentials of live production: audio, lighting, video, LED, backline and staging.
The program is not just classroom theory. Trainees will undertake site visits with production companies, workshops with industry professionals, and gain access to established mentors. Following the training, participants will be placed in paid employment – fast-tracking their entry into the workforce.
Successful applicants will receive $100 per training day across the 10 days, accommodation support for regional attendees, and award-wage payments during their work placement. More importantly, they’ll gain access to an established professional network – the kind of connections that can take years to build otherwise.
The program is open to TAFE and university students in live production, sound, lighting and music production, as well as early-career workers wanting to step up their skills. CrewCare is also strongly encouraging applications from underrepresented groups, including women, First Nations Australians, culturally diverse participants, and those from regional communities.
The program has already proven itself to be a career-changer. Graduates from the 2023 intake have gone on to work with WooHah, Gig Power, Bakehouse Studios, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and Resolution X, servicing festivals and venues across Australia.
One graduate, Steven Pierrakos, described the program as transformative, “This program changed everything. I landed a full-time role at WooHah and finally found my place in the industry.”
Another graduate, Juliana Vieira, said the pathway gave her a foothold she didn’t know was possible, “I didn’t even know where to begin. Now I’ve worked festivals, venues and found my dream job, all thanks to this program.”
The initiative is also backed at the government level. NSW Arts Minister John Graham said Western Sydney, in particular, is entering an important new cultural chapter. “With the arrival of the new airport, Powerhouse Parramatta and big investments in local arts centres, Western Sydney has a very exciting chapter ahead of it. Its artistic and cultural life will be a big part of that story, but we have to back the local creatives and the communities that nurture them.”
CrewCare is an industry-led, not-for-profit organisation formed in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when live music ground to a halt and the thousands of crew members who power concerts and festivals were left without work overnight. Created by a group of production veterans, CrewCare was born out of a need to provide practical and emotional support to Australia’s live production workforce – a group often overlooked in public conversations about the music business.
Since its inception, CrewCare has operated with two main goals: to provide immediate assistance to crew members facing hardship, and to build sustainable programs that ensure the future health of the workforce. Their work has included financial relief, peer-to-peer mental health support, and advocacy for crew wellbeing.
Recognising that the next generation also needed pathways into the industry, CrewCare launched Pathways to Jobs in Live Music in 2023. The program has since grown into a national model, providing structured training and employment connections across states and territories. With government and industry partners on board, CrewCare has become a key bridge between education and employment in Australia’s live music economy.
Australia’s live music sector has long been one of the country’s most vibrant cultural exports, but like everywhere else, the industry is facing a shortage of skilled crew.
Experienced roadies and technicians were lost during the pandemic, many moving into other industries when touring stopped. CrewCare’s training initiatives are designed to fill that gap – not just plugging holes, but creating a diverse and sustainable workforce for the future.
The timing couldn’t be better. Major investments in infrastructure like Sydney’s second airport, Powerhouse Parramatta, and regional arts centres will demand more crew than ever before. Without programs like Pathways to Jobs in Live Music, the pipeline of skilled professionals risks running dry.
Applications for the NSW program close 4 September 2025. Interested applicants can apply at crewcare.org.au or contact CrewCare at training@crewcare.org.au.
For those who dream of working in live music, not on stage, but making the show happen, this program could be the ticket in.
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