Skills review of video games and visual effects industries
Government welcomes independent report
An independent report into the skills required by the UK鈥檚 video games and visual effects industries has been published today.
The 聽review by Eidos life president and Double Negative聽Managing Director聽, working with and , is the biggest quantitative research study to date on skills in these industries.
Welcoming the report, Minister for Creative Industries said: 鈥淭his evidence can help Government, higher education providers and the games industry to create the right conditions to nurture and develop the skills and talent that the UK needs.
鈥淭he Review is also well timed to make a contribution towards the evidence for the Government鈥檚 current for the digital and creative industries. We will now look at the recommendations in detail and respond in full shortly.鈥�
Watch Ed Vaizey鈥檚 speech at the launch event:
Transforming passion into skills
Research was carried out over five months through seven different strands covering children, parents, teachers, schools, colleges, universities, employers (with over half of all video games and visual effects employers), employees and recruiters.
鈥淰ideo games production plays to the UK鈥檚 twin strengths of creativity and high-technology and ticks all the boxes for the digital economy,鈥� said Ian Livingstone. 鈥淲e need to transform young people鈥檚 passion to play video games into a desire to make them, whilst equipping them with the right skills for the industry. In the brave new online world, a second 鈥榞olden age鈥� for the UK games industry beckons. It鈥檚 an opportunity which shouldn鈥檛 be missed.鈥�
The UK鈥檚 video games sector generates 拢2 billion in global sales. Worldwide, the video games market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 10.6 per cent聽between 2010 and 2014 compared to an average of 6.6 per cent聽for all media and entertainment markets.*
The UK is a centre of excellence for visual effects work and as such is a major draw for the US film studios. Visual effects is the fastest growing sector in the UK film industry with visual effects companies generating annual turnover of 拢376 million and employing more than 5,000 people (Sourced from NESTA press notice).
Further information
- -聽Ian Livingstone blogs for DCMS (5 November 2010)