Launched over 8 years ago by leading games industry recruiters, Aardvark Swift, Grads in Games has one simple aim - to help more graduates make the leap from student into professional developer.
We do this through a comprehensive programme of events, competitions and resources - all designed to equip graduates with the skills employers need.
Grads in Games has gone from strength to strength and we have big plans to achieve even more, but we can’t do it alone. Our industry partners are vital in helping us to bridge the gap between academia and industry.
Grads in Games is an award-winning national initiative to improve the links between the UK games industry and academia.
- We provide resources and guidance designed to increase the employability of students and graduates, both in person and via our web hub at GradsInGames.com
- We run Get in the Game – A nationwide tour of careers talks delivered to thousands of games students across nearly 70 UK universities. We provide careers information, guidance, knowledge and experience directly from studios & professional developers.
- We run Search For A Star – Critically acclaimed talent showcases. Created to discover and highlight the best graduates for the games industry, with challenges designed & assessed by games industry professionals. The winners gain unique experiences of working within leading UK studios.
- Winner of the 2015 TIGA award for Education Initiative & Talent Development.
Get in the Game is our extensive nationwide tour of careers talks, delivered to lecturers & over 3000 students on Computer Science, Games Programming, Games Art or Games Development courses.
Directly supported by the games industry, advice is delivered by specialist games recruiters Aardvark Swift, alongside representatives from leading UK games studios.
The talks are designed to highlight the benefits and realities of a career in video games development, giving students the guidance they need on how to prepare themselves & improve their employability.
The advice and information we provide is experiential & also based directly on feedback from studios via our annual survey of graduate recruitment at UK games developers.
The talks directly feed into the Search For A Star & Rising Star competitions, with Get In The Game actively bringing in applicants & promoting the value of the competitions.
Search for a Star is our series of annual competitions in programming, 3D art, animation and VFX. They are designed by industry professionals to find, support and reward the most promising graduate games programmers and artists, bringing together students, universities & studios.
The competition showcases both graduates and leading university courses, demonstrating to the games industry the talent, aptitude & employability of graduates.
For the 2017 competition, 800 students from more than 100 universities took part in the competition.
Winners (& finalists) receive exclusive job & internship opportunities with our partner studios.
We're currently in the process of seeking partners, sponsors and supporters for the 2017/18 academic year.
Join with leading studios across the UK to help develop the future of the games industry.
Benefit from your investment in Grads In Games
- Discover, meet and work with the next generation of games developers
- Get an early opportunity to hire some of the top graduates
- Get your studio, brands and products showcased to thousands of student game developers
- Full marketing & PR support, with UK games press coverage throughout the campaign
- Add your own marketing objectives, and we can incorporate them
- Allow your staff to "give something back" to the industry, and add to their Continuing Professional Development
- Promote and evangelise your studio and the UK games industry as a career option
- Help secure talented graduates for UK games, combatting the skills shortage and improving the health of the sector for all