College starts brand new esports partnership
Sandwell College has announced a partnership with Wolves Esports which will see the college and its students gain valuable hands-on experience in the rapidly growing esports industry.
Based in West Bromwich, Sandwell College is the first education provider in the country to partner with a professional esports team.
The partnership with Wolves Esports will enable students to benefit from stadium tours, interaction with professional teams, guest speaker talks and work experience opportunities.
The college currently offers two BTEC courses in esports, and has invested in esports gaming rooms, editing suites and enterprise pods to ensure students have access to the most inclusive and dynamic growth environment in an industry already worth more than £1 billion.
The courses cover a wide range of topics and professions within the esports industry, including organising competitive esports events, enterprise and marketing, broadcasting and presentation, health, wellbeing and fitness, and responsible gaming.
Commenting on the partnership, Scott Thomas, Head of Sport at Sandwell College said: “Esports is a rapidly growing industry around the world and within the education sector.
"This generation of students have grown up online and their sights are set on a digital future. Many UK universities now offer esports as a degree course.
“This is a hugely exciting time for Sandwell College to be partnering with one of the biggest esports teams in the country.
"Our students will have access to players and expertise which will enable them to turn their passion into a profession, learning employability skills including digital, problem-solving, teamwork, organisation and analytics to support them in whichever pathway they choose to progress.”
Claire Teng, Wolves Esports General Manager, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sandwell College to the pack and we look forward to working with them closely during our partnership.
“Here at Wolves we are always looking to the future and working with Sandwell College and helping its students to gain a better understanding of the esports industry is something we are really looking forward to.”