How can esports help with youth unemployment? Young people in the UK are one of the groups hit the hardest by COVID-19-induced unemployment. And this issue must be approached from various angles – skills and career development is one of them. That’s what LDN UTD’s and Staffordshire University’s new campaign is about.
Esports as a career
The LDN UTD Inter-Borough Esports Championships aims to provide young people with an opportunity to join the esports industry. Although the industry has suffered many losses due to the pandemic and events being subsequently canceled, gamers’ number has increased in the lockdown. As a result, there’s potential there.
The initiative will allow young Londoners to join a series of digital skills workshops hosted jointly with Staffordshire University. The skills they’d learn would be essential for the esports industry. Staffordshire’s expertise as the first UK university to introduce a degree in esports, combined with LDN UTD’s own experience as an esports organization, can provide students with “unique learning opportunities to give them a distinct edge when it comes to carving out careers in this rapidly growing industry,” said the Director of Staffordshire Uni Matt Brindley-Sadler.
Indeed, skills like SMM, video editing, and graphic design are invaluable to an industry such as esports, given how central visual interfaces are to it. And those skills are incredibly transferable. London Mayor Sadiq Khan‘s backing of the initiative speaks volumes of its significance. “The industry is generating millions of pounds for our economy, as well as creating much-needed jobs for our community, particularly here in London,” he said. His flagship community sports program, Sport Unites, will fund the initiative.
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The news comes out close to the time of LDN UTD’s Inter-Borough Esports Championship, due to take place 5-19th of December. The players can compete in FIFA ’21 or NBA 2K. The tournament will be broadcast live on Twitch.
Photo credit: The feature image has been done by STEM List. The photo beneath was provided to us as part of the original Staffordshire University press release.
Source: LDN UTD’s blog / Staffordshire University press release / Richard Partington (The Guardian) / Joe Griffin (Esports News UK)
