Here East and The Good Growth Hub announce the launch of a new Industry Insights programme to help kickstart the careers of young people from across East London in the gaming sector.
In association with Into Games and Games Anglia, the short course is aimed at individuals aged 18-24 based in Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. It’s been curated to equip them with the skills and experience to begin an entry-level role in the industry.
Students will have the opportunity to secure a work placement in the gaming industry via the Into Games KickStart scheme – a six-month role paid at a minimum of London Living Wage – and will have an opportunity to apply for the Here East scholarship programme.
Upon completing the course, it will ‘enhance their university application’ for a gaming-related course at Staffordshire University London. They will also be able to access a variety of services at the Good Growth Hub, including career support through the tailored information, advice and guidance service.
The course will also promises to offer a programme of workshops and activities held by professionals within the industry, including session on games design, games marketing and social media, alongside career support including CV writing, interview training and people management.
Here East is described as an esports and sports cluster, home to businesses such as BT Sports, Sports interactive and Bidstack as well as Staffordshire University London.
Here East is spearheading a campaign to create a ‘world-class’ esports cluster at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which aims to drive job creation.
Designed and delivered in collaboration with local employers and industry specialists, the Good Growth hub delivers a range of career programmes for local young people including London Living Wage paid internships, support for freelancers, training programmes, apprenticeships and careers advice and coaching. It’s part of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC).
“Industry Insights #GamingEdition is one of the inaugural programmes that we are running and are excited to be partnering with Here East to help bridge and connect local talent with local jobs in an evolving sector.”
Oliver Benjamin, Good Growth Hub
Over the next five years, the Good Growth Hub will apparently provide advice and guidance to over 2,500 local people and help over 450 people into work.
Gavin Poole, CEO of Here East, comments: “Ensuring that young people across East London benefit from the businesses and academic institutions based at Here East has always been a top priority for us, and so we are delighted to launch this new Industry Insight Programme alongside The Good Growth Hub to help jump start careers into the gaming sector.”
Oliver Benjamin, director of employment and skills at the Good Growth Hub team, commented: “At the Good Growth Hub, we are on hand to offer ongoing support for non-linear career paths. Industry Insights #GamingEdition is one of the inaugural programmes that we are running and are excited to be partnering with Here East to help bridge and connect local talent with local jobs in an evolving sector.”
More information about application can be found on the Here East website.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
