Celebrating a year of getting gamers into work

Game Academy is delighted to be celebrating our first year of success, working in partnership with Ascento Learning and Development, helping to guide gamers into the world of work.

Indeed, since we launched the initiative in 2023, 500 gamers have joined our Games Industry Skills Bootcamps, logging countless hours of guided learning and skill-building projects leading to interviews for real jobs in the sector.

From the nine courses completed over the last 12 months, 96% of those who took part said they were satisfied with what they learned and 95% said they picked up new skills. Around half also told us they felt their mental health had improved.

But don’t just take our word for it. Here are some examples of feedback from some of the gamers themselves:

"This course boosted my confidence to apply for gaming roles. The industry-led tasks helped me shine in interviews and I secured a new job!"

Khaien Blackheart, QA Tester at Pole To Win, and a former self-employed welder.

“The course has had a lasting impact on my career. It taught me teamwork, communication and essential workforce skills”

Dianne El-Habashy, content creator and games marketer

“Being able to poke your head in the door of real businesses is priceless. I have a lot more confidence and understanding in applying for jobs in the games industry.”

E Plant, GA Bootcamper.

So, how do we do it?

The Bootcamps

Ascento Learning & Development won grants from the Department for Education and D2N2 - the Local Enterprise Partnership for the East Midlands – which allowed us to develop skills “bootcamps” for over 19s keen to work in the games industry.

Those courses - created with help from games companies themselves - are designed to offer the sort of knowledge and experience which helps ambitious gamers to break into the industry.

But it’s not just for the unemployed or for those gamers who feel disconnected or intimidated by the prospect of an interview. The initiative is also available to players who want to switch careers and find something new connected to the gaming world.

Recruiting ambitious gamers

More and more gamers will tell you their dream would be to work in the development of new titles and franchises like Tomb Raider, Grand Theft Auto or FINAL FANTASY. In fact, during the COVID years, gaming reached an all-time high so it’s no surprise coaches in the UK’s Jobcentres say it’s a theme they’re hearing more and more about.

That’s why The Game Academy and its partners have built strong relationships with Jobcentre Plus across the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. It means we can now offer gamers real opportunities and inspiration, helping to turn their passion into a career, along with practical support from universities, colleges and employability programmes.

The bootcamps have quickly become a resource for Jobcentre work coaches who can refer keen gamers, giving them the chance to develop their talents outside of their online or screen world, using their passion as a route to get back into work.

But, beyond Jobcentres, we can also reach out to gamers through our own online community developed over the last 12 months. Our engaged Discord server is already connected to over 1,000 gamers who come together to study, further their careers, and socialise and – of course - play games.

What do students learn?

Our six- or seven-week Games Industry Skills Bootcamps are designed to offer a comprehensive introduction to the gaming industry. Attendees learn about the entire lifecycle of a game’s production, from concept to marketing, in a curriculum we devised with some of the leading games studios themselves.

Sessions are led by our team of industry experts with huge, wide-ranging experience from indie studios releasing mobile marketing games to AAA studios releasing franchises worth billions of dollars.

They include:

Ibrahim Bhatti, Senior Influencer Relations Manager at Square Enix. Across his successful career he’s worked at industry giants Square Enix, Sega, 2K, and Playstation on games like Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and FINAL FANTASY.

Matt Spall has worked in the industry for over 40 years, supporting the development of over 300 titles, including GTA2 and GTA London, Command and Conquer, and Dune 2, acting as a producer, game system designer and specialist in business development.

Liz Blackman is a leading games industry marketer also with more than 300 games under her belt. During her time at Square Enix, Ubisoft and THQ, Liz worked on iconic games including Tomb Raider, Just Cause and FINAL FANTASY.

Mel Cummings is an expert in 3D design, working on games like Battlefield Mobile, Apex Legends and the Lego games series and now works in TV, with her designs featuring in Marvel: Secret Invasion.

Adam Clewes-Boyne is the co-founder at BetaJester, an award-winning games programming studio. With extensive experience building innovative and engaging games, Adam mentors upcoming developers. He also founded Playing Attention, which raises awareness of ADHD in the games industry.

Kate Lander is an organisational development consultant specialising in workforce transformation, leadership development and the design of career pathways, with a particular interest in creative media and trade unions. She covers essential employability advice and skills such as CV writing, how to get the most out of LinkedIn and interview guidance.

At the close of each bootcamp, each participant is guaranteed an interview with games companies with vacancies to fill, looking to see what talent is out there or to offer their services as mentors.

Studios which have taken part so far include Team 17, Creative Assembly, Splash Damage, Huey Games and SUMO Digital - from large studios right through to young start-ups assembling their very first team.

Sample curriculum

Each week of the course includes two week-day evenings and one weekend daytime session, each one led by our games industry tutors.

Participants are expected to complete more than three hours of additional guided study per week, with additional extracurricular opportunities to build skills offered through our Game Jam and Skills Builder community sessions.

Lectures and Q&A learning sessions are complemented by five industry-led projects, encouraging course members to use what they have learned to solve real-world games industry problems.

Most games industry roles require a portfolio of previous work for applications to be successful, even at entry level. Our industry-approved tasks give learners the chance to build the skills they need as well as a portfolio to show to potential employers.

Get in touch

Are you an employer or educator with a group which could use our help? Get in touch with the Game Academy Team here.