The Games Industry Needs a Skills Revolution, Not Just More Graduates
The games industry stands at a crossroads. As studios increasingly pivot towards freelance models and face mounting economic pressures, we're confronting an uncomfortable truth: our traditional approach to talent development is no longer sustainable. As a speaker at the recent UK Games Skills Summit and an experienced professional in the industry, this is abundantly clear.
A collaboration between the British Film Institute (BFI) and The Association of UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE), the event united educators, industry leaders, and policymakers to address the long-term skills needs of the video games and interactive entertainment sector. Below are my takeaways.
Beyond the University Pipeline
For too long, a section of society has treated university as the default gateway into games. This narrow pathway excludes countless young people and fails to meet the industry's evolving needs. Career exposure should begin at primary school age, introducing children as young as six to the creative and technical possibilities within gaming. By secondary education, students need genuine work experience opportunities—yes, IP concerns are real, but successful case studies exist and must be shared nationally.
The vocational routes through esports, creative media, and games development at post-16 level remain underutilised. Programs like NextGen Academy and Into Games' Waypoint demonstrate what's possible when education is co-designed with industry. These shouldn't be isolated successes but national standards.
The Freelance Dilemma
The shift toward freelance models presents a fundamental challenge to how we develop talent. Studios report they need not just more money for skills development, but something more precious: time. When career progression becomes fragmented across multiple employers, who invests in long-term growth?
This model also threatens basic working rights and security—maternity leave, career mapping, and professional development all become precarious. Without government provisions and industry-wide solutions like shorter, funded CPD courses, we risk creating a generation of skilled workers with nowhere to grow.
Reframing Skills as Commercial Opportunity
Perhaps our greatest mistake has been positioning diversity, inclusion, and skills development as moral imperatives rather than commercial necessities. When we present inclusive economic growth through data-driven evidence of ROI, suddenly employers, investors, and government pay attention. Supporting skills properly accelerates innovation, productivity, and sustainable growth—it's not charity, it's strategy.
The Data Imperative
We cannot navigate change without robust, shared industry data. We need transparency about what's working, honest reflections on failures, and practical insights from across our networks. The games industry doesn't respond to one-size-fits-all toolkits, but it can learn from real stories and demonstrable successes.
A Call for Unity
Change is coming whether we're ready or not. The question isn't whether to adapt, but whether we'll do so reactively or strategically. This requires a united voice promoting skills development and securing government support for positive transformation.
The path forward demands we stop reinventing the wheel and scale what already works. We need industry leaders, alongside Ukie and others, to champion nationwide implementation of proven models, strengthen funding structures, and create genuine pathways from primary school to professional practice. Most critically, we must shift from evaluating candidates on experience alone to recognising aptitude and potential.
Our industry was built on passion, but passion alone won't sustain the next generation. We need infrastructure, investment, and intentionality. The talent pipeline isn't broken—it's just never been properly built. Now is the time to construct it.