Jackson Armstrong, Director of Business Development for Access Education Group, writes for Esports Insider to discuss why esports has become appealing for educational institutions and how the perception of competitive gaming has shifted.
It’s easy to see the appeal of esports. Tournaments are intense, frenetic experiences with players pushed to the limits in their efforts to dominate and take the top prize. There is an inherent energy and pace to esports that attracts modern audiences, leading to a wave of new fan bases across a variety of genres. Alongside this, the games themselves are vibrant, colourful and rich, providing the perfect platform for ‘edge of your seat’ moments.
Whilst an esports fan’s ‘pitch’ or ‘court’ is a virtual realm, viewers are tuned into the finer details of the ecosystem similarly to other sports. This includes consuming media on the competitive scene and reading patch updates that let them know the latest meta-strategy.
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The esports ecosystem is vast, built on the foundation of ever-increasing interest in the industry. Look past the tournaments and you’ll find teams that support coaches, nutrition experts, marketing teams, finance teams, legal firms, content creators, shoutcasters, graphic designers and more. The gaming industry as a whole has also led to the rise of sector-adjacent platforms like Twitch, Discord and YouTube Gaming.
The thing about esports is that it’s not just playing games. Competitors have to be fit and healthy, sticking to health plans and intensive training schedules, just like any other sport. As the industry has professionalised, there is a growing need for players to have a network of support staff to function and thrive. Esports may not take place on a running track or a football field, but it’s still as challenging and requires an entire arsenal of skills to build success.
And that is why Access Creative College and other educational institutions are investing in esports facilities.
Whilst recent macroeconomic factors have stagnated esports’ valuation, the scene still shows promising signs for the future. As noted in UKIE’s 2023 report, the UK has the largest community of student esports players in Europe.
Every year, esports hits bigger milestones. In 2017, 4 million people in Britain watched esports, The Olympics debuted esports in 2023 with a week of events, and the UK is rapidly becoming a hub for esports with several high-profile tournaments recently coming to the city’s capital. As a result of these developments, and the professionalisation of the industry, more jobs in esports will need to be filled by trained professionals with the skills needed to perform effectively.
Access Creative College’s Esports course has modules across coaching, events management, business and enterprise, tactics and performance analysis, along with shoutcasting and health and wellbeing. The modules cover everything you would need to take on most roles in the industry, whilst also providing transferable skills, so you can branch out into other roles and areas if you wish.
The institution has also worked with real esports professionals and industry figures to develop bespoke esports facilities on campuses so that learners can practise their new skills in environments that match what they would be working on in the industry. ACC’s facilities in Bristol, London and Plymouth are cutting-edge; kitted out by Overclockers with high-end gaming PCs, and made to promote innovation, competition and skill development.
The London campus has an esports ‘super-space’ — a new concept that brings the professional world into the classroom, by allowing learners to watch esports tournaments live and in person. This unique space helps learners turn theoretical situations into practical instances by competing, coaching, shoutcasting, marketing and training all in one space, guided by expert tutors.
Access Creative College made this investment nationally, as it’s clear to see that esports is here to stay and will continue to grow and develop. Access wants to be a part of that, giving those who love esports the knowledge and skills needed to have a thriving career in the industry.
Access Creative College will continue to invest in esports, not just in facilities, but in its Access Aces esports team, curriculum and the wider industry.
Initially starting out within the music sector, Access Creative College has been educating young people for 30 years. During that time, the institution has carefully expanded its offer to meet the interests and passions that become careers of tomorrow, bringing in games, media, computing and now esports.
Each development has required a period of listening and learning to become experts on each subject, and then creating an offer that matches the needs of the present and the future. Being able to provide an entry point into this incredible sector is a privilege, and Access Creative College believes that if it can continue to feed fresh talent into the industry and directly contribute to its future, its efforts will be worth it.
For more on Access Creative College’s esports offer, click here.
