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Kim Blake has joined the Next Gen Skills campaign talent development co-ordinator to help bring recommendations made in the Next Gen report to fruition.
The post has been jointly funded by Ukie and Creative Skillset, and Blake will work with the game industry and educators to help improve the amount of talent in the games and visual effects industries.
Blake has worked at Blitz Games Studios since 2005, most recently working as senior events and education co-ordinator, and has also previously worked at other developers such as Headfirst Productions, Argonaut Sheffield and Gremlin Interactive.
The Next Gen Skills organisation is devoted to pushing for improvements in the UK education system, with a view to equip future generations of programmers with the skills needed to drive high-tech growth nationally.
The body played a key role in getting computer science onto the curriculum as a replacement for IT, and was recently added to the English baccalaureate as the fourth science.
Although the EBacc certificates that were set to replace some GCSEs are expected to be dropped today, computer science is still counted as one of the EBacc performance measure options.
“I am incredibly excited to have been given the opportunity to work with Ukie and Creative Skillset on the development and promotion of next gen skills,” said Blake.
“So many people are doing excellent work in this area; I’m really looking forward to working with them all to maximise awareness of the careers available, the skills needed and the opportunities that are already out there, as well as helping to foster communication between existing and new initiatives.”
UKIE CEO Jo Twist added: “We’re delighted to have Kim on board as our new Talent Development Coordinator. Kim will deliver the next practical set of recommendations from the Next Gen Skills report and her work will complement the lobbying success of the Next Gen Skills Campaign.
"Kim has a proven record in championing the industry and working with education and her new role will be a real benefit to the whole UK games and interactive entertainment industry in inspiring the next generation to consider games as a career.”
