Sumo
Digital Academy has announced a series of initiatives designed to
encourage more women and those in other underrepresented groups to get into
coding and join the UK video game industry.
A series of
workshops in February and March will provide an undergraduate-level
introduction to the C++ programming language through making games. These will
be held online and hosted in partnership with the Sheffield Women in Computer
Science society (SWiCS).
The Academy
will run additional workshops and competitions in partnership with the National Videogame Museum as part of Games Careers
Week. This will include more C++ workshops aimed at A-Level students
and a C++ coding competition. Games Careers Week is scheduled to take place
from 26 March to 2 April 2021.
“Investing in
the future of coding is important to Sumo and the wider UK video game industry,
and it’s crucial that through our efforts we shape a future that’s inclusive,”
said Sumo Digitals Director of Education Partnerships and Academy lead Dr Jacob Habgood.
“C++ can be
seen as a dry and difficult language to learn, but it is a pre-requisite for
the vast majority of programming roles in big game studios. Our learning
resources have been designed to help lower the entry barrier for learning C++
and make it more engaging too!”
“The Sheffield
Women in Computer Science society is a fantastic initiative and we’re delighted
they were able to support us in offering these workshops to their members
during lockdown.”
All resources
used in the planned workshops will be made publicly available for free during
games careers week.
“We are proud
to partner with Sumo to support the expansive opportunity for women in Computer
Science,” said Kassandra Yuen, President of the Sheffield
Women in Computer Science Society. “The UK needs to unlock untapped potential
in women and other under-represented groups from all walks of life. Workshops
like the ones we have planned are integral to achieving the goal.”
The Sumo
Digital Academy was established to address the need to expand the talent pool
required to meet the UK games industry’s continued growth.
The workshops
are part of its long-term vision to recruit new talent from outside the
traditional education channels into the Academy training scheme, which launched
in September 2020. The Academy’s first programmer trainees joined with degrees
in Fashion, Physics, History and Philosophy – unusual backgrounds for game
development.
Further
initiatives are planned through 2021, details of which will be announced in due
course.
———-
About Sumo
Digital
Founded in
2003, award-winning Sumo Digital employs over 750 staff across its ten studios
in the UK, India, and Poland. UK studios include Sumo Sheffield, Nottingham,
Newcastle, Leamington, and Warrington plus The Chinese Room (Brighton), Red
Kite Games (Leeds), and Lab42 (Leamington Spa). Sumo’s international studios
include Sumo Video Games, in Pune, India, and PixelAnt Games in Wroclaw,
Poland. Developing successful games across all platforms and genres, Sumo is
recognised for its versatility, proprietary technology, and creativity across a
portfolio of games featuring titles for major publishers including Microsoft,
Sony, SEGA, and 2K. Sumo Digital is part of Sumo Group plc.
About
Sheffield Women in Computer Science Society
Founded in
2018, the Sheffield Women in Computer Science society (SWiCS) is dedicated to
empowering women in the field of Computer Science and achieving gender
diversity in industry.
The society
hosts inspirational talks, networking events, workshops and social activities.
Through the community, they create opportunities for women to build skills and
confidence.
For more information, click here.
About
the National Videogame Museum
The NVM is run
by the BGI, a registered charity number 1183530 that educates the public about
the art, science, history and technology of videogames. The NVM celebrates
videogame culture and runs award-winning educational events that inspire young
people to start making their own games. For more details about the NVM, please
visit their website.
About
Games Careers Week
Games Careers
Week 2021 is a celebration of video game careers with nationwide events
reaching millions of parents, learners, teachers, job-seekers and >50
games organisations. Games Careers Week is a service operated & funded
by the charity the BGI, Grads in Games CIC and Into Games CIC, non-profit
organisations working to advance games education in the UK. The event will run
from 26th March – 2nd April 2021. For more information, please visit: https://gamescareersweek.org/
