TIGA welcomes digital drive announced in Davos

By January 26, 2018 Press Releases

TIGA has welcomed Prime Minister Theresa May’s comments on the new Institute of Coding. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Prime Minister spoke about how the Institute of Coding, a key part of the government’s efforts to drive up digital skills through the Industrial Strategy, will equip people of all ages with the skills they need.

The Government will aim to create the next generation of digital specialists through the new Institute of Coding, a consortium of more than 60 universities, businesses and industry experts set to receive £20 million to tackle the UK’s digital skills gap

The Institute of Coding is centred around five core themes:

  1. University learners (led by the Open University) – to boost graduate employability through a new industry standard targeted at degree level qualifications. IoC programmes will incorporate learning which solves real-world business problems and develops business, technical and interpersonal skills in equal measure.
  2. The digital workforce (led by Aston University) – to develop specialist skills training in areas of strategic importance.
  3. Digitalising the professions (led by Coventry University) – to transform professions undergoing digital transformation (e.g. helping learners retrain via new digital training programmes provided through online and face-to-face learning)
  4. Widening participation (led by Queen Mary University of London) – to boost equality and diversity in technology-related education and careers (e.g. tailored workshops, bootcamps, innovative learning facilities and other outreach activities). In 2017, female programmers and software developers made up just 3.9 per cent of tech and telco professionals in the UK.
  5. Knowledge sharing and sustainability (led by the University of Bath) – to share outcomes and good practice, ensuring long-term sustainability of the IoC. This will include building up an evidence base of research, analysis and intelligence to anticipate future skills gaps.

Dr Richard Wilson OBE, Chief Executive of TIGA, said:

“TIGA, and the video games industry as a whole, welcomes the Government’s efforts to drive up digital skills.

“Highly skilled and innovative staff are the industry’s most important asset. It is the programmers, designers, engineers, artists and producers who create ground-breaking games and we depend on their skills to compete on a global level. Improving digital skills is undoubtedly important for the future success of our industry.

“However, the Government must also ensure that the video games industry can continue to recruit the best and brightest talent from abroad. While our industry will recruit home grown talent where possible, there are a range of highly specialised roles that need to be filled by people with the right skills – wherever they are from.”

 

Notes to Editors

 

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport statistics available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/creative-industries-record-contribution-to-uk-economy

About TIGA

TIGA is the network for games developers and digital publishers and the trade association representing the video games industry. Our core purpose is to strengthen the games development and digital publishing sector. We achieve this by campaigning for the industry in the corridors of power, championing the industry in the media and helping our members commercially.

 

TIGA is intent on building an enduring organisation which continually improves; a business that will make a significant impact on the games industry and so benefit our membership and the wider economy. Since 2010, TIGA has won 24 business awards, an achievement which reflects TIGA’s drive for improvement and to meet best practice.

 

For more information visit: www.tiga.org

Get in touch:

Tel: 0845 468 2330
Email: info@tiga.org
Web: www.tiga.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/tigamovement
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TIGAMovement
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/tiga

For further information, you can also contact:

Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO at: richard.wilson@tiga.org

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