Games boss calls for more ethnic minorities and women to combat skills shortages
10 October 2007
UK games companies need to widen the recruitment net to encourage ethnic minorities and women to take up creative careers in the games industry, the European head of recruitment for one of the world's biggest games companies said today.
Matthew Jeffery, Head of European Recruitment at Electronic Arts, said skills shortages were becoming more common in the gaming industry and measures had to be taken to bring in more new talent.
"Europe, particularly the UK, is home to the world's finest talent pool. The UK creates world class, leading games, many of which are the envy of the world. But as gaming continues to grow at a rapid pace, skills shortages are becoming ever more common in the UK," Jeffery said.
He added: "Games companies need to broaden out their recruiting scope and attract talent from other new industries and seduce more diverse groups into game teams, particularly women and ethnic minorities."
Skillset - the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industry - said, based on its 2006 industry survey, that the games industry employed around 9,000 people with less than four per cent from minority ethnic groups, and 12 per cent women. This, however, represents an increase from 2005 when the figures were three and eight per cent respectively.
Jeffery's comments were made in the lead-up to the Skillset Skills Week, a week-long series of free events starting 22 October for games industry professionals and aspiring new talent to network and exchange ideas about the latest developments in the games industry - an industry worth more than £2 billion a year to the UK economy.
The Skillset Skills Week is part of the London Games Festival, a celebration of games and interactive entertainment taking place from Monday 22 Oct 2007 until early November. Industry figures and representatives from leading games companies hope to engage with new talent during a series of events from 22-26 October.
Jeffery said: "Skillset Skills Week asks all the difficult questions, encourages debate and seeks to provide answers to games industry skill shortages. It is a must-attend event for games industry executives looking for recruitment answers."
Other industry figures have echoed the views by the Electronic Arts recruitment head.
Nick Burton, Senior Programmer with games development company Rare, said: "Game development has one of - if not the - most diverse skills requirements of all modern media ranging from mathematicians and physicists at one end of the spectrum to actors and architects at the other."
He added: "For the UK games industry to maintain its position as one of the world leaders, we need to diversify recruitment into these new areas while continuing to work hard with the more traditional routes into our industry such as software engineering and art skills. The Skillset Skills Week gives attendees the chance to discuss these issues and find out what it's like working in the UK's most exciting media industry from some of its most seasoned practitioners."
Toby Allen, Assistant Producer with Sheffield-based independent game development studio Sumo Digital, said: "Skills Week brings a new opportunity to highlight the UK's gaming industry and its current state of expansion as a world-class leader in game development."
He added: "There has never been a better time or place to join the gaming industry for young and talented bright minds. New opportunities are present throughout our industry, with a new drive for a diversified and fresh talent highlighted by the Skillset Skills Week. The UK industry provides a tremendous amount of support for game development through their university courses and the creation of talented young individuals that will help shape and drive the future of this booming industry."
The Skillset Skills Week will feature experts from across industry and academia, provide audiences with insights, contacts and experiences to find new or better jobs in the games industry.
Highlights of the week include a modding workshop on Monday (designing a game with development software engine Unreal); the secrets behind Playstation 3 blockbuster title Heavenly Sword; Showreel Surgery (with talent scouts present from EA, Blitz and others); ‘How to develop a MMO (massively multiplayer online)' workshop by the UK's premiere MMO game developer, Monumental; and art tips from the guys behind Heavenly Sword, Lord of the Rings and Superman Returns.
- Monday, 22 Oct (Central St Martins, Holborn) - Publishing & Marketing Games (EA, Cake, Nintendo & NCSoft)
- Monday, 22 Oct (01zero-one, Soho) - Modding Workshop - Design and build your own game in a day
- Tuesday, 23 Oct (Truman Brewery, Corbet Place) - Game Design Day (Rare, Heavenly Sword)
- Wednesday, 24 Oct (Truman Brewery, Corbet Place) - How to Get Your First Job (EA, Weta, Goldsmiths)
- Thursday, 25 Oct (Central St. Martins) - Game Production Management (Blitz, Monumental, Sumo)
- Friday, 26 Oct (Central St. Martins) - The Art of Science (Weta, Heavenly Sword, Fallout, Hellboy and more)
The full programme can be viewed at: London Games Festival - Skills Week
Entry is free, but places are limited. To register, go to: London Games Festival - Skills Week: Registration page
For more details see: Computer Games
Media contact: Rajiv Maharaj, Skillset Press/PR Manager
Phone: 02077 139812
Mobile: 07968 010325
e-mail: rajivm@skillset.org
Notes to Editors
1. Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries covering Broadcast, Film, Video, Interactive Media and Photo Imaging. Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are licensed by the UK Government and by Ministers in the devolved administrations to tackle the skills and productivity challenge by sector. SSCs are independent, UK wide organisations developed by groups of influential employers in industry or business sectors of economic or strategic significance. SSCs are employer-led and actively involve trade unions, professional bodies and other stakeholders in the sector.www.skillset.org
2. Skillset Skills Week is co-ordinated by Pixel-Lab, a computer games and digital media development agency working across the UK's computer game and digital media industries. Pixel-Lab advises, develops and delivers strategies to support growth in the games industry from skills development to support infrastructure. Pixel-Lab also works with organisations outside the industry, enabling them to harness the power of games. Pixel-Lab
3. Skills Week is supported and funded by the London Development Agency (LDA). The LDA works to improve the quality of life for all Londoners and drive sustainable economic growth.
4. The London Development Agency invests more than £400 million a year to create jobs and develop healthy, sustainable communities. It also supports London as a financial, educational and research centre. It tackles the barriers to employment for certain groups, encourages business and cultural activities and improves infrastructure and the environment. In this way the LDA ensures all Londoners can gain from and contribute to London's economic success. London Development Agency