Report calls for new industry-led body to solve UK skills crisis
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A new report has called for the creation of an industry-led organisation dedicated to solving the ongoing skills crisis in the UK video games sector.
Published today by games development and publishing training provider Skillfull and penned by the company's founder Gina Jackson, the study explored the high number of job vacancies advertised in 2022 and sought to understand the most pressing skills needs in the UK.
Entitled 'The Skills Crisis in the UK Games Sector,' the report identified a skills crisis at the mid to senior level across various sectors of the industry, particularly development.
The data from its findings were presented to industry stakeholders – including trade body UKIE, Games London, the British Film Institute, games employers, and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport – who unanimously suggested the creation of a cross-sector skills organisation to tackle this issue.
The new body would be led by an alliance of games employers and would be responsible for leading efforts in working on the report's recommendations, identifying and solving issues with the training and education ecosystem, finding local and national funding that can aid in these efforts, and bringing games companies together to continue working on these issues.
However, there was confusion as to who should be responsible for funding this new body and other recommendations from the report, with suggestions including the UK government, the Creative Industries Council, and industry employers.
"There is a clear misalignment between expectations and agreement on who is responsible and should be responsible for the skills management of the UK games industry," wrote Jackson.
"Without a comprehensive sector-wide framework, we risk perpetuating a cycle of skills crises, falling behind our global counterparts. While many impactful skills projects have yielded positive results, their sustainability is jeopardised by
Read more on gamesindustry.biz
