Tiga pushes for Games Education Fund

Tiga is calling for the establishment of a Games Education Fund to improve the standard of university courses aimed at the games development sector.

Taking its cue from a recent study by Wolverhampton University titled ‘An investigation into the labour market and skills demands of the games and serious games industries’, Tiga CEO Richard Wilson said that universities need to ensure their courses maintain current and that students are given appropriate advice on career paths – something Tiga is attempting with its publication ‘A guide to career paths in the game development sector’.

"We are strengthening business-university links in the games industry through the Tiga Technology Group, and we are disseminating best practice about industry-academia links," said Wilson. "But we need to do more. A Tiga-managed Games Education Fund could help to address many of the problems identified in this report."

The fund would be able to pay for the placement of lecturers in games businesses, finance research fellowships, help developers work with universities and award individual lecturers and universities for excellence in teaching.

The burden isn’t all on educators however, says Wilson – games studios and the Government also have work to do. “Where possible, employers in the games industry must give greater emphasis to workforce development. Expenditure on skills and training can drive up productivity if properly focussed. Tiga will aim to publish best practice about workforce development in 2009.

He added: "At a public policy level, the Government must aim to reduce the tax burden on games businesses and others so that more employers in the UK can afford to invest in training, especially during the current difficult economic climate.”