New campaign tackles youth unemployment through esports
Staffordshire University London has joined forces with LDN UTD to help tackle rising rates of youth unemployment across the capital through esports.
The LDN UTD Inter-Borough Esports Championships will provide participants with a unique opportunity to pursue a career in esports - one of the world’s fastest growing industries.
Young people across the Boroughs of Hackney, Kingston, Lambeth and Lewisham will be able to sign up to a range of digital workshops, hosted in partnership with Staffordshire University London and other universities.
The workshops will be themed around a variety of topics including video editing, social media management and graphic design - all skills that have been a contributing factor in making esports a billion-pound industry worldwide, with global audiences eclipsing 500 million already in 2020.
The initiative aims to highlight esports as a viable career option and is backed by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and the Rio Ferdinand Foundation.
Matt Brindley-Sadler, Director of Staffordshire University London, said: “We are really excited to be partnering with LDN UTN. Staffordshire University has nearly 20 years’ experience of delivering games education and was the first UK University to launch a dedicated degree in esports. Our award-winning London Digital Institute campus is specially designed to provide our students with unique and innovative learning opportunities to give them a distinct edge when it comes to carving out careers in this rapidly growing industry.
“We are devoted to training and mentoring the digital and technological pioneers of the future and look forward to working with young people from across the city to give them a taste of possible careers they may not have considered before.”
Oliver Weingarten, Founder and CEO of LDN UTD said: “The broader perception of esports is often focused around the very best individuals or teams competing in global tournaments - but in reality, there are lots of other roles that play a vital part in creating this hyper-modern entertainment form and we’re hoping to shine a light on that over the coming months.”
In tandem with the digital workshops, budding gamers from the four Boroughs will go head-to-head in the inaugural LDN UTD Inter-Borough Esports Championships, which will give players the option of competing in either FIFA ‘21 or NBA 2K from 5th - 19th December.
To find out more information on the LDN UTD Inter-Borough Esports Championships or to sign up to the digital skills workshops visit www.ldnutd.gg
Discover more about studying at Staffordshire University London at our next virtual Open Event on Wednesday 9 December, 5pm – 7pm. Find more details and book your place here.
Amy Platts
Media Communications Officer
t: 01782 292702
m: 07799 341911
e: amy.platts@staffs.ac.uk
Staffordshire University is the Connected University; connected to the needs of students, academic partners, business and society. Our main city campus in Stoke-on-Trent features excellent learning and teaching facilities and good transport links. We have specialist Centres of Excellence in Healthcare Education at Stafford and Shrewsbury.
We were recognised with a Gold award in the 2019 Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) for delivering consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for students.
We have been shortlisted for University of the Year at the THE Awards 2020 and were named ‘Midlands University of the Year’ at the Midlands Business Awards 2020.
Staffordshire University has signed up to the Civic University Agreement, pledging to play a leading role in improving the regional economy and enhancing quality of life in local communities. We were recognised in the top 15 for social inclusion in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021. We aim to be a leading university for digital technologies building on our proud computing heritage and in 2019 launched Staffordshire University London’s Digital Institute which is committed to preparing students for careers in new and emerging tech industries.
We are a Top 250 Young University (Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2020) and are connected globally, with more than 11,000 people are studying Staffordshire University degrees overseas.
