Uxbridge College’s brand new NextGen Skills Academy course, the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Games, Animation and VFX Skills has been showcased on BBC London News. Footage shot in the College’s IT & Media Centre, which featured interviews with students taking the course, was featured in two primetime slots on BBC1, at lunchtime and during the early evening news.
Uxbridge College is the only college in London to be running the new course, launching this September, which is designed to address creative industry skills shortages.
The games, animation and VFX industries are worth £6bn to the UK economy, and 46% of companies in these sectors are looking for particular skills in new recruits. Sector staff average pay of £38,000, which is 43.39% higher than the national average, so opportunities in these industries are very real, highly professional and well rewarded.
The Level 3 Extended Diploma in Games, Animation and VFX Skills is comparable to 3 A-levels and can lead students onto higher education courses or into higher apprenticeships. A higher apprenticeship offers a work-based learning programme, which combines on the job training with studying for high-level qualifications, allowing employers to create a highly skilled workforce that is ready to meet the future demands of the business.
Minimum entry requirements for the course are 5 GCSE passes at grades A*-C, including maths and English.
NextGen Skills Academy, which developed the course, is a pioneering organisation, supported by investment from both government and leading games, animation and VFX employers. NextGen's aim is to provide vocational qualifications, apprenticeships and short courses that will enable young people to become the next generation of creators and start their careers armed with the relevant skills and knowledge that employers in these areas are looking for today.
