Introduction

Skills Bootcamps are flexible courses giving successful applicants the opportunity to build up tech skills and fast-track them to an interview with an employer. They are being developed by the Government as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, in partnership with employers, providers and local authorities, to help people develop the skills that are in demand in their local area and get a better job.

About this Skills Bootcamp

This bootcamp introduces games development and how to create immersive, entertainment experiences in context of what makes game products engaging and commercially successful. The first half of the course is designed to build professional skills and software competency. The second half specialises in the development of a 'vertical slice' game demo for prospective employers from commercial studios as a portfolio piece, or to form the basis of a portfolio ahead of self-employment. There is also the opportunity to learn about the application of games technology for commercial purposes other than those solely for entertainment.

This 16-week programme will provide you with an overview of how games are developed, towards a goal of polished, engaging entertainment products across a range of sectors. Central to your experience will be training in Unity; a game engine and real-time development platform with many applications both inside and outside the entertainment industry.

With sessions led by industry developers and academics with experience of working on published 'AAA' and 'indie' games, this bootcamp will help you define and refine a trajectory towards jobs with existing games companies, but also how to set up a business if you plan to start out on your own or work as a freelancer. The first half of the bootcamp covers general professional and computational skills development. While the second is all about your game projects and tailoring them so you are better placed to enter the industry.

An important element of the bootcamp will be practice-based learning. We will embed personal and professional learning and development into our core delivery to ensure that you develop the personal and interpersonal skills required to operate successfully as a professional within your chosen industry.

Who is it for?

The Skills Bootcamps are open to all applicants provided they are aged 19 or over, are recently unemployed, self-employed, looking to move into a new job role, or coming out of furlough and seeking a pathway to a digital career.

Learners will engage with 16 weeks of flexible delivery, blending real-time interaction (via online technology) with interactive online resources. Some real-time content delivery will be recorded and made available for later review and flexible support will be available outside of formally timetabled sessions.

Entry requirements

Learners must: 

  • Be aged over 19 years old
  • Have the right to live and work in the UK (UK Citizen or valid visa, currently living in the UK)
  • Agree to provide mandatory personal data and supplementary information on their employment outcomes for up to 8 months following completion of the Skills Bootcamp
  • Be looking for a new role, new opportunities or increased responsibility/promotion to a different role which utilises the skills acquired through their Skills Bootcamp
  • Applicants must be from the South West region (Swindon, Bristol, Bournemouth, Exeter, Plymouth, Poole, Gloucester, Truro, Taunton, Cheltenham, Bath and Torquay)

Be either

  • recently unemployed, within the last 12 months
  • self-employed, looking to develop their skills to increase their career potential
  • employed, but looking to move into a new job role, or seeking a pathway to a new career
  • employed, where you wish to gain increased responsibilities/new role within your current employment place or, your employer wishes you to develop your skills and is committed to paying 30% of the bootcamp costs*

For further information regarding eligibility please see here.

*Employers will be able to send existing employees who meet the Skills Bootcamp eligibility requirements on this training at an impressive 70% discount of the standard fee. Interested employers should contact us directly via Enquire Now form below.

For full information on this course, please see UWE's website.