£2.5m grant will help ARU address skills shortages
ARU to expand computer games design provision thanks to new funding from OfS
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) will “power up” its computer games design provision in Cambridge thanks to a grant of £2.5million from the Office for Students (OfS).
It was confirmed today that ARU has been successful in applying for capital funding from the OfS, the independent regulator for higher education in England, to establish a new, technology-enabled learning facility focused on computer gaming.
The new OfS funding has been awarded to institutions for projects in subject areas that will “offer a boost to local and regional economies and promote national growth”.
ARU’s project will deliver new classrooms and a large digital media and production space, providing students with an environment that will allow them to work more flexibly as individuals and in groups, reflecting the real-life collaboration between disciplines that would be found in a professional computer games studio.
The new facility will also support outreach work for disadvantaged learners and offer modular short courses for upskilling the existing computer games design workforce.
Based in the Coslett building on ARU’s Cambridge campus, the facility will enable ARU to double capacity and student enrolment in these subjects by the 2028 academic year, significantly increasing the number of industry-ready graduates in a sector facing acute skills shortages.
UK consumers spent £7.6billion on video games last year alone and a report in September from the trade association TIGA revealed that the computer games industry currently supports over 73,000 jobs, including around 28,000 developers, and contributes £2.2 billion in tax revenues.
ARU’s Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences currently offers a range of courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level, including BA (Hons) Computer Games Design, BA (Hons) Computer Games Art, and an MA in Games Development (Art).
“The creative industries are projected to provide excellent future growth and opportunities for the UK economy, and are listed in the Government’s Industrial Strategy as a national priority. However, there are significant skills shortages, particularly in computer games design, as well as visual arts, film and television.
“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this funding from the OfS. This new facility will further enhance the experience for students on our computer gaming courses, support lifelong learning, and contribute to national and regional skills priorities in the creative industries.”
Professor Catherine Lee, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences at ARU
“This was a very competitive funding round, and the projects we are supporting will make a tangible difference to current and future students. As well as expanding opportunities for students in strategically important subject areas, these projects will offer a boost to local and regional economies and promote national growth.”
Nolan Smith, OfS Director of Resources and Finance