Skills City is partnering with the Ukie Student Conference to inspire the next generation of video game industry talent at its free event, where university and college students can learn about career opportunities from leading sector experts.
The conference, in collaboration with Skills City & Epic Games, is being held at Staffordshire University on Wednesday 26 October and will feature speakers from industry-leading game developers including Codemasters and Rare.
Attendees can expect a day full of engaging talks, an exhibitor space with a range of training providers and employers, and a networking hour where students can connect with developers, recruiters and professionals from the industry.
Simon Benson, Immersive Technology Director at Skills City, will also be speaking at the conference about gametech, the metaverse and the future of the games industry. He was previously director of Sony’s Immersive Technology Group where he was a founder member of the PlayStation VR project and supported all its VR launch titles.
“Ukie has been a brilliant partner for Skills City and we’re excited to continue working with them and supporting their impactful initiatives like the student conference. The video games industry is growing at a global scale, so we want to ensure that people from all backgrounds are aware of the skills training and development opportunities available for new talent in this thriving sector,” commented Simon.
Shahneila Saeed, Head of Education at Ukie, said: “The Student Conference is one of Ukie's flagship educational events and we are incredibly excited to see this return as a physical conference for the first time in three years. To have Skills City's partnership behind the conference is a wonderful opportunity for our students. Their boundless effort to support and encourage the growth of diverse talent within the digital technology sectors is nothing short of admirable.”
Abdiqani Ahmed, founder and CEO of Lionscreed, a world-class Esports team, will also be speaking about the development of the increasingly popular multi-billion pound esports industry in the UK. Stella Vazquez, Immersive Tech Training Manager, will be joining the securing a placement in the industry panel, where she will talk about the Unity Development and Games Development Skills Bootcamps offered by Skills City.
Skills City, operated by IN4 Group, provides people across its fully funded digital Skills Bootcamps with training and development support over 12-16 weeks and helps prepare them for a guaranteed job interview, which takes them into technology roles or careers that go straight into Level 3-5 apprenticeships with a local employer. It connects learners to its employer network of over 3000 jobs and apprenticeships.
Applications for Skills City are now open and offer the practical skills needed to launch a career in the gaming and immersive industries.
The Ukie Student Conference is on 26 October, 9.30am-5.30pm, and you can register to attend here.