On the Job (TV series)

On The Job is a television show that showcases companies and educational opportunities in Alabama, US. On The Job provides a way to give Alabama citizens a look at the jobs and careers available to them and the education and skills required to get these jobs and improve their lives.

Hosted by Bobby Jon Drinkard, On The Job is produced by AIDT [1], Alabama’s Workforce Training Institute in cooperation with Alabama Public Television.

History

The concept of the show was first discussed in October 2006. Initially AIDT was going to continue production of Alabama@Work, a show on Alabama Public Television, which had just been cancelled. After discussions with management, the focus of the show shifted to a more "worker/employee/student" focused show. The decision to move forward with a pilot was made November 1, 2006. The pilot was shot in January 2007 with Steve Marrlowe as host. The show was picked up by Alabama Public Television in May 2007 and full production began June 1, 2007. The show premiered on November 5, 2007 at 2:30PM CT on Alabama Public Television. The show is also available online at http://www.onthejobtv.org.

"On The Job" is the first show produced by AIDT [2], Alabama's Workforce Training Institute. The show was developed in response to Alabama's low unemployment rate and to encourage the citizens of the state to go back to school to increase their education and potential careers. The show opened its third season with its 100th show on September 12, 2010.

Staff

On The Job is based on an idea by Christopher Roquemore who serves as Executive Producer for the show. Jacquie Allen, Clyde Hancock, Kendall Haywood, Heather Holladay, Doug Freeland (who also manages AIDT Productions) and Sonya Telfair along with Steve Marlowe as host were the initial staff of the show. Heather Holladay departed the show in August 2007 after completing 7 episodes as producer and Steve Marlowe hosted the first 10 episodes before being replaced by Bobby Jon Drinkard. Steve Marlowe still continues to work with the show as a consultant. In July, 2007, Robert Trione was added as a videographer/editor, but Trione was replaced a year later by Jeremy Oates.

Concept and Content

Based loosely on format of Dirty Jobs show on the Discovery Channel, On The Job places the host in a variety of jobs available across the state of Alabama to show people what these jobs entail as well as some of skills and education required to get these jobs.

The shows feature two-three segments per half-hour episode. Sometimes the segments and jobs are related, but in many cases they are not. Also featured each week is a listing of Job and Training Opportunities available across the state. Season 1 episodes also featured a Ready to Work segment that gave viewers helpful tips on how to get jobs, keep jobs and become better employees.

The show is shot completely in 720p HDTV although it is broadcast by Alabama Public Television in Standard Definition.