Ed Vaizey, the government minister for culture and the digital economy, has announced an initiative called the Next Gen Skills Academy, designed to give 16- to 18-year-olds a fresh route into the games, animation and visual effects industries through apprenticeships and dedicated college places.
NGSA is described as a “virtual resource” which will connect schools and further education colleges with blue-chip companies from the creative industries.
Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, Framestore and Pinewood Studios have signed up to the scheme and are contributing £3.6m, with £2.7m investment from the UK government’s Commission for Employment and Skills.
“Next Gen Skills Academy is a network of further education colleges, providing places for students as well as apprenticeships,” said Vaizey, speaking at the videogames show Eurogamer Expo at Earls Court in London.
“It will really provide a step-change in terms of the skills needed for a career in the industry. We do have a very good ecology of games courses, but the Next Gen Skills Academy takes this to another level. There’s a narrow focus of working with key companies, who are not just putting in cash, but services in kind in terms of work placements, expertise and skills.”
Along with around 1,200 student places, Next Gen Skills Academy will encompass 150 apprenticeships, designed to give students the skills for jobs in the games, animation or VFX industries.
“The apprenticeship programme is going to be one of the most interesting areas, as it will give people a different route into the industry than university,” said Gina Jackson, acting managing director of NGSA.
Katherine Cottrell, manager of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, said the scheme would encourage more diverse applicants, particularly to try and increase the number of women in the games industry form the current all-time low of 2%.
“The diversity issue was something that was really attractive – this was an opportunity to give people who don’t go to universities or through the traditional academic route a chance to get into the industry, irrespective of gender or ethnic background.”
Jackson admitted the next 12 months will involve putting infrastructure in place, including setting up a bespoke e-learning platform, defining the curriculum (with heavy industry involvement) and getting the schools and colleges involved.
The scheme will begin in September 2015, and is inviting 15-year-olds to register their interest via the NGSA website.
