Region has key role to play in gaming bid, says Minister
The West Midlands can play a key role in the UK's bid to become a world leader in the gaming sector, the Universities Minister has said.
Michelle Donelan MP said the gaming industry was a "job creator" that was growing in influence and offered "high quality opportunities" around the world.
And she said the West Midlands had a major part to play in providing "high calibre" training for the sector, with Staffordshire University at the forefront.
Ms Donelan took part in a virtual visit with staff and students at the university, where she heard about plans for a new games institute and the increasing popularity of courses aimed at jobs in the sector.
She said: "We know that the gaming industry is one that is growing. It's a job creator, and is offering opportunities to people across the world.
"We want to be leading in this sector and Staffordshire University is already doing a fantastic job.
"They were one of the first five universities in the country to ever even offer a computer course, and now they are about the biggest provider of games courses in the UK, with over 2,000 students studying."
Government figures show an estimated £2.9 billion was contributed to the UK economy in 2019 by the gaming industry, up from £0.4bn in 2010.
The gaming industry in the UK employed 27,000 people in 2019, a 42 per cent increase from 2013.
Chippenham MP Ms Donelan added: "It just shows how much it has really increased. It's a growing market offering a lot of jobs.
"I know from my own constituency that it is an area that young people are keen to get into and to do that we need high calibre courses."
Ms Donelan also spoke of the challenges faced by universities and students over the past 12 months, saying students had shown "unbelievable" resilience after having their studies disrupted by Covid.
"Reducing the spread of the virus had to come before everything else," she said.
