Activision Blizzard Introduces Level Up U - Creating Opportunities for Under-Represented Communities

wowhead.com:

Chief People Officer Julie Hodges has released a message announcing Level Up U, a new Activision Blizzard initiative to accelerate opportunities in gaming and technology for under-represented communities. Designed to develop engineering talent and help people from all backgrounds start careers in games development, the three month program is currently seeking applicants with a background in programming and familiarity with C++. This initiative follows CEO Bobby Kotick's previously announced commitment to change, which alongside cutting his own pay, pledged to invest $250 million over 10 years to accelerate opportunities for diverse talent within Activision Blizzard.

With input from our employees, we have been working diligently to find the right opportunities for that investment. Today, I’m pleased to introduce our first key initiative from this fund – Level Up U. Level Up U is a unique, three-month program developed to help individuals from all backgrounds start their careers in gaming.

It is designed to teach participants the basics of game development and ultimately prepare them for engineering roles within the company. In addition to traditional classroom and project-based work, those in the program will also have access to our incredible leaders who will serve as guest speakers and mentors. Our inaugural program will focus on developing engineering talent.