Update (October 2023): We understand the partnership has ended.
Original article (March 2022): Competitive gaming body Esports Scotland has partnered with Dundee and Angus College as the region looks to become Scotland’s home of esports.
Simon Hewitt, principal of Dundee and Angus College (pictured left) and James Hood, founder and CEO of Esports Scotland (right), marked the partnership on Friday within a newly branded esports classroom, featuring art from competitive games Splatoon, CSGO and League of Legends (Vi) and Valorant (Viper).
Dundee is hoping to become a region for esports. A multi-purpose arena is being proposed for Dundee, which could play host to major esports events in the future.
Dundee and Angus College, one of the education partners in the planned arena heading to Dundee’s Slessor Gardens, has now teamed up with Esports Scotland.
The collaboration promises to generate opportunities for students and school pupils from tournaments, industry talks, summer boot camps to a suite of new courses, work placements and job opportunities.
Esports Scotland will also have its own esports training facility within the Gardyne Campus.
The news comes after the Scottish Government made a £1.3m computing in schools pledge, which could help lift esports in the country.
Update: Dundee and Angus College is hosting a week-long camp for children aged eight to 11 during the week beginning Monday July 18th 2022 from 9.30am to 12.30pm each day. It costs £30 per child.
The camp is being run in conjunction with Esports Scotland and includes a mix of gameplay and out-of-game activities. Youngsters can play games, learn from coaches and players and engage in new skills. They will also create a Rocket League team and design a name and logo to build up to the creation of their own esports tournament. Children will receive a certificate at the end of the programme and have the opportunity to compete for a number of prizes along the way.
In conjunction with Esports Scotland, the college is also creating a range of full-time courses, talks and activities for both students and local school pupils. Central to that aim, the College and Esports Scotland have today announced the launch of the Dundee and Angus Regional Esports Cup, aiming to engage both Dundee and Angus College students and local senior school pupils in Esports.
Open for registration from Wednesday 23 March 2022, teams will compete in a live playoff of ‘Rocket League’ during a tournament later this year. As well as competing for the prestigious Cup, pupils will develop a variety of soft skills, from stronger communication and collaboration to critical thinking and teamwork. Teams will be supported and mentored by Esports Scotland throughout the process.
Esports has already been incorporated into the College’s course portfolio, with plans to build upon this offering as the industry evolves. There are also plans to offer an HNC and HND in Esports from January 2023. The College and Esports Scotland are also working on a progression pathway from introduction through to degree level, where college graduates will complete years three and four at Abertay University.
The College’s expertise in Esports has not gone unnoticed in the further education sector, with the organisation recently being appointed lead collaborating partner of the Scottish Colleges Consortium of Esports.
“The burgeoning growth of the competitive games industry, coupled with Dundee’s planned multi-million pound esports arena, spark economic and employment opportunities for our region. We’re delighted to be teaming up with Esports Scotland to build long-term engagement locally.”
Simon Hewitt, Dundee and Angus College
Simon Hewitt, principal at Dundee and Angus College, said: “The burgeoning growth of the competitive games industry, coupled with Dundee’s planned multi-million pound esports arena, spark a multitude of economic and employment opportunities for our region.
“Our ambitious digital strategy and proven track record in digital innovation put us at the heart of this exciting landscape, so we’re delighted to be teaming up with Esports Scotland to build long-term engagement in esports locally and prepare our learners for the career opportunities ahead.”
Esports Scotland founder and CEO James Hood added: “As with physical sports, esports teams have coaches, psychologists, managers, events teams, the lot. There are also lots of disciplines with sports creating their own communities. But of course, not everyone who gets into esports will become, or aspire to be, the next Andy Murray or Andy Robertson.
“The industry, including the new Dundee arena, will need a broader workforce to support and future-proof esports, from broadcasters and coaches to events and digital marketing experts.”
Northern Lights Arena Europe (NLAE) plans to unveil its 4,000-capacity esports venue at Dundee Waterfront in 2025. The company is working in partnership with Esports Scotland on the delivery of the digital arena.
Luc Delany, COO at Northern Lights Arena Europe, which is working on the Dundee esports arena, said: “We look forward to continuing our work with Esports Scotland and Dundee and Angus College in the lead up to 2025 and beyond, to further cement the relationship between esports and education.”
To learn more about the Dundee and Angus Regional Esports Cup, parents and teachers are invited to attend the first online webinar on Wednesday March 23rd 2022. For more info, visit the Dundee esports event page here.
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.
