We’re working on student outreach all year round to equip the next generation of student developers with the skills they need to land their first job. With your support we can ensure that the UK games industry continues to grow and prosper with a healthy influx talented graduates!
Alongside the Grads in Games website and career services, we put on two big events each year which you can get involved with!
We travel up and down the country during our Get in the Game tour offering detailed CV and portfolio advice, workshops and hints and tips. In 2016 we visited 66 UK universities and talked to around 3000 Computer Science, Games Development and Games Art & Animation students to help them develop the skills they need to land a job in the games or tech industry.
Our Search for a Star & Rising Star competitions showcase both graduates and leading university courses, demonstrating to the games industry the talent, aptitude and employability of programming, games art, animation and VFX students. In 2017 we had over 800 entrants, and we’re always aiming for bigger and better!
We have two options for those of you who are interested in building the industry’s graduate talent:
Patron
The role of a Grads in Games Patron is to support and promote the initiative’s activities. To support more graduates, and help to create a more sustainable industry, we need as many hands on deck as possible! Whether you’re able to make a donation of time, resources, or a financial contribution – we need you!
Get in the Game Tour: We need representatives from UK game studios to deliver advice talks, workshops & mock interviews to students all over the UK as part of our Get In The Game tour. If you can share your wisdom, we’d love for you to join us.
Marking Competition Entries – Can you give portfolio feedback? Or mark art assets, offer gameplay testing assistance or get under the hood of programming entries? We are looking for experts in Animation, VFX, Games Art and Programming to give us a helping hand with Search for a Star and Sumo Digital Rising Star!
Support Finals Day – Our Round 3 Final Stage interviews take place at our very own Finals Day conference. Students gather to hear talks and receive mentoring from industry experts – would you like to deliver a workshop or a talk? We always need prizes for goody bags and our competition winners too!
Donations: You can also support our initiative by making a financial contribution. We prefer to think of the money you give us as an investment – financial support enables us to reach more universities, support more graduates and equip more students with the skills they need.
What do you get in return?
Well, apart from the warm fuzzy feeling you’ll get from giving the next generation a leg-up, there are lots of good, practical reasons why you should get involved!
Exposure:
We’re proud to be associated with great studios, and we’ll put the whole weight of the Grads in Games marketing team behind letting everyone, including our 35,000+ database, know that you’re helping out! You’ll also get to distribute your promotional merch in our lovingly crafted goody bags which we give to the 3000+ students we meet on tour!
Staff Development:
Our activities allow for your staff to grow and develop, preparing them for senior positions within your studio. There’s plenty of public speaking and presentation opportunities on tour. Providing constructive feedback and critiquing work are a key element of marketing competition entries, and a crucial skill to all your team members!
Help graduates:
You’ll be joining the fight to combat the skills shortage first hand – giving something back to our industry. By meeting, mentoring and engaging with the next generation of developers, you’ll be ensuring that they have the skills needed to make a big impact when they land their first job. What’s not to like?
A £1000 donation will also earn you a spotlight article on our website, a free exhibition stand at Finals Day, and a personalized Patron media pack (so you can tell the world you’re supporting us!)
Sponsorship
For those of you wanting to get a bit more involved, we have a variety of sponsorship options available to suit your objectives and budget, from high-visability sponsorship to exclusive recruitment opportunities. Click here for more info!
For more information on volunteering and sponsorship opportunities, check out our handy Grads in Games Partnership Opportunities brochure, or contact Rachel Frost at Rachel@aswift.com or on +44 (0)1709 834777.