Apprenticeship programs have, until recently, been primarily reserved for the trade industries, such as construction and manufacturing. A new program at Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) is proving that other industries can benefit from the apprenticeship model.

Schell Games, the largest full-service educational and entertainment game development company in the United States, has just announced a partnership with CCAC to create the Schell Games Apprenticeship Program (SGAP), a hybrid training curriculum that will guide aspiring gaming professionals through a three-year associate degree in multimedia programming, simulation and gaming.

The program will launch fall 2022. It will be a blend of classroom study (20 hours per week) and paid on-the-job training (20 hours) at Schell Games’ Station Square office, including professional training and development company-specific onboarding, and curriculum and project work. Schell Games will pay the full tuition of the apprentices, two of whom will make up the program’s inaugural class. The company will also provide public transit or parking passes to cover students’ commutes.

“Game development companies today need to be as innovative in our recruitment and development of talent as we do in our games and applications,” said Schell Games CEO Jesse Schell. “This partnership with CCAC is the first degree-granting apprenticeship program in the games industry. It represents a grassroots effort for the greater Pittsburgh community but also a first step in the creation of a broader, deeper talent pipeline inclusive of students who can’t or choose not to attend four-year universities.”

In the SGAP, participants will work side-by-side with game developers on actual projects to gain real-world experience in the games industry. They will have the opportunity to mentor under every discipline, which includes engineering, design, art, and production. At the end of their apprenticeship, they will have the skills and knowledge to confidently enter the games industry workforce.

A recent McKinsey & Company study stated that half of all work activities could become automated as soon as 2035, potentially creating a global shortage of skilled workers. Apprenticeship programs address these issues by closing skill gaps or reskilling those uprooted by automation.

“The only way to keep up with the pace of automation and close the skills gap is for public education and private companies to come together in new ways,” said Rebecca Dupont, department head of computer information technologies, North Campus and West Hills Center for CCAC. “We hope that this initiative with Schell Games is a template for business and academia alike.”