TIGA Accredited Universities Unlock a Career into Games Development

TIGA Accredited Universities Unlock a Career into Games Development

LONDON, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

    TIGA, the network for games developers and digital publishers and the trade
association representing the games industry, published a new report today which shows that
TIGA Accredited Universities typically have a high proportion of graduates securing jobs
in the video games industry: this ranges from 20 per cent to 67 per cent on undergraduate
TIGA Accredited courses and from 53 per cent to 100 per cent on MSc TIGA Accredited
courses. TIGA published the data in a report, TIGA University Accreditation (TIGA, 2016)
which also highlights the excellent work that TIGA's Accredited Universities are
delivering.

    TIGA introduced the TIGA Accreditation process in January 2015. Since then, 16 courses
at the following universities achieved TIGA Accreditation: Bournemouth University (1
course); Portsmouth University (2 courses); Sheffield Hallam University (3 courses);
University of the West of England (1 courses); Staffordshire University (7 courses); and
City University London (2 courses).

    TIGA's report shows that TIGA Accredited Universities typically:

       
        - have a high proportion of graduates securing jobs in the video games industry:
          this ranges from 20 per cent to 67 per cent on undergraduate TIGA Accredited courses
          and from 53 per cent to 100 per cent on MSc TIGA Accredited courses. Students from
          these courses who are not working in the games industry are typically securing
          graduate jobs, often in other related sectors.
        - strong links with industry: for example, Sheffield Hallam University has close ties
          with Sumo Digital and Staffordshire University works closely with Epic Games.
        - have access to high quality infrastructure, facilities, hardware and middleware: for
          instance, the games courses are part of Sony's PlayStation First academic programme,
          which ensures students have early access to Sony's latest console technologies. City
          University London boasts The City Interaction Lab which gives students opportunities
          to work with cutting edge technologies. University of Portsmouth provides students
          with access to a Motion Capture Suite and a Virtual Reality lab.
        - demonstrate innovation and best practice: for example, Sheffield Hallam University has
          its own commercial games development studio, Steel Minions, which gives students the
          opportunity to engage in real world games development. Similarly, UWE provides the
          in-house PlayWest development studio which affords students valuable opportunities to
          work in an industry environment on commercial projects. Likewise, Portsmouth provides
          facilities for student start-up companies in the University's Innovation Space during
          their placement year.
        - provide students with a wide range of industry related skills.   
        - develop particular skillsets: at Bournemouth University there is an emphasis on
          developing technical skills in the context of working as part of small development
          teams where versatility is valued. City University London's games courses deliver a
          range of hard programming skills. The University Of Portsmouth equips graduates with
          the necessary skills to enter the games industry or even start their own business in
          the games industry. Sheffield Hallam University has a particular emphasis on console
          development skills. Staffordshire University's accredited courses develop a wide range
          of industry relevant skills that meet the needs of small indie games businesses and
          large AAA studios. Finally, the University of the West of England has a valuable focus
          on commercial game development practices, running small development teams on their
          course.

    Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, said:

    "We introduced the TIGA Accreditation system to ensure that universities and colleges
can produce graduates with industry relevant skills and to enable both prospective
students and game developers to identify those courses that are producing industry ready
graduates. The TIGA Accreditation process also works to highlight and disseminate best
practice. Today's Report shows that TIGA Accredited Universities are providing graduates
with a wide range of industry relevant skills, demonstrating innovation and best practice
in education and learning, building strong relationships with industry and unlocking the
door to a career in games development. I hope that more universities will work towards
TIGA Accreditation and so benefit students, industry and higher education."

    Chris Kingsley, CTO at Rebellion and Chair of TIGA's Education Committee said:

    "UK video games developers are crying out for talented staff with the right skills to
help them make world class games. The TIGA Accreditation scheme is a great example of how
the industry is working with universities to help guide and nurture a new generation of
developers with the right skills."  

    Dr Mark Eyles, Principal Lecturer; Course Leader, University of Portsmouth and TIGA
Education Adviser, said:

    "The TIGA Accreditation initiative has enabled us to start building a collegiate
network of exceptional games development courses who are able to share best practice at
TIGA Education Group meetings and within the TIGA network. The TIGA Accreditation process
enables courses to demonstrate the ways in which they are working with games developers to
ensure that their students are 'industry ready' on successfully completing their courses.
The TIGA Accreditation process is also able to identify course strengths and make
recommendations for future improvements. TIGA Accreditation forms part of the Key
Information Sets (KIS) that all courses are required to display on their web pages,
clearly signalling to potential students that these course have been recognised and
approved by industry."

    Universities interested in applying for TIGA Accreditation should contact:
richard.wilson@tiga.org or Mark.Eyles@port.ac.uk

    About TIGA 
TIGA is the network for games developers and digital publishers and the trade association
representing the video games industry. Our core purpose is to strengthen the games
development and digital publishing sector. We achieve this by campaigning for the industry
in the corridors of power, championing the industry in the media and helping our members
commercially.

    TIGA is intent on building an enduring organisation which continually improves; a
business that will make a significant impact on the games industry and so benefit our
membership and the wider economy. Since 2010, TIGA has won 24 business awards, an
achievement which reflects TIGA's drive for improvement and to meet best practice.

    For more information visit: http://www.tiga.org

    Get in touch: 

       
        - Tel: +44(0)845-468-2330
        - Email: info@tiga.org 
        - Web: http://www.tiga.org 
        - Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tigamovement 
        - Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TIGAMovement 
        - LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/tiga 
        - Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, richard.wilson@tiga.org 

TIGA