Skill UP – upgrading or re-skill to be part of Mid Sweden’s games industry

Game On Mid Sweden announced its forward-thinking Skill UP program; an online training program for any individual looking to upgrade or re-skill to become part of Mid Sweden’s burgeoning games industry.

The worldwide games industry is worth $138.4Bn* and the Nordics are recognized globally as one of the most creative and successful geographies in game development. Names like Stillfront and Embracer grace the front pages of games industry media, putting Sweden firmly on the global games industry map.

Mid Sweden is part of that trend of growth and seeing unprecedented interest from games and creative digital enterprises looking to relocate and recruit in the region.

After a few months working in the Mid Sweden region, Patty Toledo, the leader of Game ON, saw clear discrepancies between the needs and expectations of the local game companies and the professionals looking for new opportunities. “There is a lot of interest in game development and business,” says Toledo. “But, until now, there was no clearly obvious route or access to the necessary resources for ambitious individuals to achieve the knowledge level and networking requirements to be easily employed or even start a new games company.”

So Game ON decided to create a program to help professionals interested in starting or improving their career in games.

The Game ON Skill UP program lasts from May 10, 2021, to April 30, 2022. It is a first of its kind: a bespoke program of training, personal development, and networking available in Sweden.

Participants are expected to finish a minimum of 200 hours of studies during this period. The program will be offered online, in English and the participants are allowed to organize their studying schedule individually, freely, and at their own pace. The program uses PluralSight as a learning platform, and Discord for networking and support, allowing the participants to present the projects they are working on during the program, as well as communicate with senior games industry professionals.

The Game ON Skill UP program is tailored to help individuals interested in working in game development improve their skills and advance their career prospects. The participants will be selected based on their previous knowledge and education, as well as their level of interest and motivation. The selection process will include CV and Portfolio analysis, alongside a video interview.

The participants will also receive invaluable mentoring, feedback, and support throughout the year, from mentors who are experienced professionals to game business worldwide. The mentorship activities will also include Business Development, Marketing, Pitching and Recruitment.

The Skill UP program is supported by Lahza Games, Sideline Labs and Saber Interactive. The mentors from all around the world include Mo Fadl and Markus Schill from Lahza Games, who previously worked in Blizzard, Riot, Netease and Wargaming; Oscar Clark, from Fundamentally Games, Sophia Drake from Chorus Worldwide, and Kelly Vero from Core Game.

Interested individuals can find out more online. All participants are expected to study at least 4 hours per week. Inactive participants will be advised to leave the program.