Leamington MP raises concerns about skills shortage for town's gaming industry

Leamington MP Matt Western has raised concerns in Parliament about the national skills shortage in the computer games industry which is affecting businesses in the town.

Speaking in Parliament recently, Matt Western questioned Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, about the national skills shortage and what the Government is doing to address it.

Leamington has one of the largest concentration of games companies in the world, with the town being nicknamed ‘Silicon Spa’.

With about 2,000 people employed in the industry, which contributes over £100 million to the local GDP, it is estimated that one in every 50 people in Leamington works for a games developer.

Research from TIGA (the trade association representing the UK video games industry) last year showed that 68 per cent of studios surveyed found it ‘difficult or very difficult’ to fill vacancies in their workforce with 93 per cent of them highlighting ‘a shortage of applicants with the required skills, experience or qualifications’.

And 59 per cent of respondents who had experienced skills shortages said it had hindered their growth.

The Secretary of State responded that the Government has “a creative industries skills package, which we committed to in the creative industries sector vision, to ensure a pipeline of talent all the way from primary school right up until someone’s second or third job, and there are measures at every single one of those steps.”

Mr Western has since highlighted the college and university courses available at establishments in and near Leamington.

He said: ““I am - and many others are - proud of our local gaming industry and all of the companies and employees they bring to our town.

“It’s disappointing they are being held back by the Government’s failure to tackle the skills shortage to help ensure they can grow in the way we know they are capable of.”

For more information about courses being offered by Warwickshire College Group click here.

For the games technology MSci/BSc (Hons) degree course at Coventry University click here.

For the postgraduate course in games engineering at the University of Warwick click here.