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This month, Liz Prince talks to Marcia Deakin, co-founder of Next Gen Skills Academy about apprenticeships and more…
CAN YOU GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT NEXT GEN SKILLS ACADEMY DOES – AND WHO DOES IT WORK WITH?
NextGen was established in 2015 and works with games, animation and VFX employers in order to support and strengthen the link between education and industry, through the development of industry backed qualifications, training, and routes into work with the goal of creating a more diverse workforce. We enable employers to fish in new talent pools through the delivery of skills bootcamps, apprenticeships, short courses, and an industry developed Level 3 qualification supported in 14 FE colleges across England. In games we work with Ubisoft, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Creative Assembly, Playground Games, Sumo Digital, Mediatonic, Payload Studios, and many more brilliant companies and individuals across the creative industries who help support our programmes.
TELL US ABOUT THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME – AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THE GAMES INDUSTRY HAS THESE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO YOUNG PEOPLE. Apprenticeships are simply a different way of bringing new talent into our industry, or of developing existing staff, with training paid for out of the Apprenticeship Levy Fund. It’s easy to get involved. Step 1: Look at your skills need. Step 2: Is there an Apprenticeship Standard that fits your skills needs or would help train your employees? Step 3: If so, recruit an apprentice! There is a lot of help and guidance on the Government website
and from employers that have done it before, and of course NextGen are here to help. For young people who are ready to work, and there are plenty, they get paid to work and train in an industry that they might otherwise have been shut out of. For employers, they get the opportunity to train and recruit someone directly in the skills their business needs, and as apprentices are paid members of staff, they become part of the company from day one. It’s an important pathway to increase diversity whilst developing and bringing the next generation of talent into the industry.
18 | MCV/DEVELOP March 2022
At Amiqus, we have many resources available to help, so please do get in touch via
liz.prince@
amiqus.com
WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE WHEN ‘SELLING’ THE IDEA OF APPRENTICESHIPS TO STUDIOS?
Key blockers include fear of the new, concern that it may take up too many resources to recruit and onboard, plus uncertainty of how to engage with training providers. All of which are navigable, as evidenced with the NextGen partnership with Ubisoft and the University of Sunderland on the Digital Community Manager Apprenticeship.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO STUDIOS OF HIRING APPRENTICES? It is of huge benefit to the industry, both in increasing diversity and an improved bottom line. Retention and productivity are increased through apprenticeship programmes, and they can help upskill and train existing staff. They offer opportunities for young
people beyond the traditional university route, helping to widen the talent pool of those joining the industry. Apprentices can bring in skills and experience that are a huge benefit to employers, and employers show a dedication to employees of training and developing new talent.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT THE GAMES INDUSTRY PROVIDES MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE UNABLE TO GO TO UNIVERSITY, OR ARE FROM LOWER INCOME BACKGROUNDS? Apprenticeships offer a direct route into the industry for those that have often felt shut out because they are unable to go to university. There is a real commitment from studios on increasing diversity through engagement and sharing learning with a wider community. The more routes and opportunities we as an industry can offer, then the more opportunities we have to increase diversity and train those who might overwise get overlooked. In the recent Into Games UK Games Apprenticeship 2021 report, 94.8% of studios surveyed agree that apprenticeships should be as valid a route into the sector as university. They are proven to work in the creative industries – just look at the success of VFX and the new Junior Animator Apprenticeships, or the BBC Apprentice Hub. We as an industry just need to be brave and give it a try.
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