A talent pipeline for the gaming industry
By Community College of Allegheny County and Schell Games
February 10, 2022
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.
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.
“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.”