The British Esports Association has partnered with British educational company Pearson to devise a BTEC qualification for esports. The qualification is said to be “skilled-focused” and a “major step forward” in creating esports careers in the United Kingdom.
According to Newzoo, the esports industry is projected to generate revenues of $1.1 billion in 2020 with the total esports audience set to rise to 495m.
British Esports Association chairperson Andy Payne said, “Esports is a growing, exciting industry that many young people are looking at with interest and it’s important they have the opportunity to unlock their potential and be the leaders of tomorrow. The industry is still finding its feet, but with big names like Pearson coming on board to bring learning and curriculum design expertise, this bodes well for the future workforce.”
These qualifications are a unique development that can elevate esports education in the UK and around the world. Payne added, “We have taken our time to ensure the qualifications are as comprehensive and high quality as possible, in order to provide students with a valuable qualification that will give them the knowledge and skills they need to pursue a career in esports, video games, tech or other related sectors.”
The esports BTEC from the British Esports Association and Pearson will be available for institutions in the UK – and internationally – to offer from September 2020. Funding has been confirmed from the Education and Skills Funding Agency in the UK.
Pearson senior vice president BTEC and Apprenticeships Cindy Rampersaud added: “The world of esports offers huge employment potential both in the UK and across the world and these new BTEC qualifications will give learners the knowledge and skills they need to build a career in this exciting sector. We have worked closely with industry experts to create a career-focused set of qualifications that will support the rapid growth of the esports sector and offer learners a pathway into working in esports and related industries.”
The BTEC level three course comprises of 20 units, including skills such as entrepreneurship, strategy and analysis, events management, live-stream broadcasting, casting, coaching, health and wellbeing, law and legislation, and video production.
