Twelve leading interactive game industry organisations and the Academy of Interactive Entertainment today announced a jointly funded industry placements program as part of new initiatives in the AIE 2005 curriculum at the Australian Game Developers Conference held in Melbourne.
AIE's Head of School, Canberra, Mr Ian Gibson said "We're responding to industry demand and offering our own graduate employment program in conjunction with key developers in the games and 3D industries.
Twelve leading industry developers and producers are actively involved in a student job matching/placement program where final year students are co-funded by industry partners and AIE.
"It's the lack of appropriate work experience that's consistently identified by the games industry as one of the big barriers to growth.
"Many new graduates need to overcome this gap between training and experience.
"It's the old 'can't get a job without experience, can't get experience without a job' syndrome and for employers there's always a risk of taking on someone new without the chance to assess them properly.
"Apart from the many advantages AIE already offers students, new benefits include employment sponsorship, mentoring programs, salary assistance, new student loans, pathways into the University of Canberra, and entr?es into the game developers community at the annual AGDC," said Mr Gibson.
Backgrounder
Academy of Interactive Entertainment, Canberra and Melbourne
2005 Program Improvements
1. AIE's Graduate Employment Programovercomes the training/experience divide
For many new graduates the need to overcome the gap between training and experience is not new. It's the old can't get a job without experience, can't get experience without a job syndrome. For employers there is always a risk of taking on someone new without the chance to assess them properly.
A lack of appropriate work experience has been consistently identified by the games industry as one of the barriers to growth. In response to this industry need the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) now offers its own graduate employment program in conjunction with key developers within the games and 3D industries.
From 2005, the program will offer ten AIE game development diploma graduates:
- sponsored employment for three months with an Australian game developer,
- AIE Graduate employment partners screening of their folios to ensure the best fit between graduate and developer,
- mentoring by industry players to gain valuable experience in real time game development and to make valuable contacts, and
- a salary* during this the three years by a developer, with AIE contributing half the cost~.
The AIE graduate employment program already has the support of several leading Australian game developers and 3D graphics studios including:
- Atari Melbourne House
- Bullant Studios
- Infinite interactive
- IR gurus
- Iron Monkey Studios
- Micro Forte
- Panther Games
- Tantalus
- That Game
- Torus Games
- Bearcage productions
- 3D Eye candy
- Wicked Witch software
*Salaries are capped at $30,000 per annum for three months,
AIE's contribution will be capped at $3750+GST for each sponsorship.
2. 2 Years Full time Study in Alias / Wafefront Maya
AIE offers students studying 3D graphics the opportunity to specialise in Alias/Wavefront Maya from day one. Students enrolled in the Diploma of Screen, offered at AIE's Canberra Campus, spend 1600 hours leaning MAYA- over 2 years. Students with some 3D experience may qualify enroll in their second year of training using MAYA- software at either the Canberra or Melbourne AIE campus.
3. Student loans available
AIE students can apply to the National Australia Bank for loans under the National Tertiary Student Loan Scheme. These loans permit students to defer repayment until they have finished their period of study.
4. University pathways through AIE
University pathways are now available for students who have completed their Diploma studies at AIE. Students gain credit for one year's study at University of Canberra in a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of IT programs.
A UAI score is not the major consideration for acceptance into AIE. Talent, commitment and potential are the major entry requirements.
5. Free registration and entry to the AGDC [http://agdc. com. au/].
From 2005, all games course students at AIE Canberra and AIE Melbourne can register for the Australian Game Developers Conference (AGDC) for FREE.
The conference gives AIE students vital networking and learning experiences among their peers. AIE students also benefit from the contacts and knowledge that AIE has established as conference organiser over the last four years.
In 2005 AIE will also sponsor the Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA) to the value of $50,000.
Applications for the AIE are NOW OPEN.
Information and applications to AIE are available at:
Web: http://www. aie. act. edu. au
PH: 02 61625131 [Canberra] and 03 9820 8201 [ Melbourne ].
A lack of experience isn't the problem, it's a lack of jobs. It's the vast hordes of graduates with minimum skills and unrealistic expectations. This is a band-aid solution to a problem that doesn't exist, and will most likely just be another plum for the tutor's favourites.
If John deMargheriti and his buddies have jobs to throw around, he should probably start with some of the dozens of people he's fired over the last four years rather than finding a fresh batch of hearts and homes to break.
They'd cost more than S30k apiece...
Nor would 1/2 their wage for that 3 month period be paid for by the others who don't get hired.