GAME ON: Training the Next Generation of LA Game Designers

Access to tech and creative industry employment

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that from 2020 – 2030 careers related to the animation and game design industries are projected to grow at 11% in California, especially in Los Angeles County. The BLS characterizes these projections as “much faster than” most other industries and cites the median annual pay is $77,700. Part of this high projection of growth stems from the fact that game design jobs are not just limited to gaming powerhouses like Riot Games, EA Sports, and Blizzard; other mid-size and indie companies are populating smart phones and tablets with their smaller-scale titles every day. So it is no surprise that careers in gaming-related industries are in such high demand and can lead to many high-paying careers. This is supported by the 2020 Otis Report on the Creative Economy that found "high-tech creative arts pathways including game design helped generate 2.7 million jobs and add $650 billion to California’s economy annually."

BRIC Foundation strives to address this high demand for diverse highly-skilled technical workers in the game design industries across Los Angeles County. Our six month training opportunity will help local underrepresented high school students build the skills and expertise needed to become solid applicants for BRIC's Animation Apprenticeship program or entry-level jobs once they graduate.
BRIC Foundation will promote this six-month training program in Oct 2024 to primarily Title-1 schools across LA County and select ten sites to participate. The program will launch in Nov 2024 with a 2-day virtual and/or in-person event to share an overview of program goals and deliverables with participating students. Then for six months they will embark on collaborating with industry professionals and their own teachers during class time to plan, design, and develop their own original video game (either individually or in small groups). BRIC will provide support to each school, including teacher training, curriculum guidance, industry guest speakers, masterclass sessions, and feedback to students.
In May 2025, BRIC will host a Culminating Event, where all participating schools will meet and share their Final Video Game Projects with each other and be able to network, play each other's games, and meet industry professionals. The top school program will be selected by industry judges and awarded free tickets to attend TwitchCon, one of top professional video game conventions in Sept 2024.

Our vision is to create more accessible and equitable pathways to better prepare women and underrepresented people to thrive in the Game Design workforce of tomorrow. There are too many women and people of color in high schools in Los Angeles County who dream of beginning a career in the gaming industry but do not have the funding available to earn degrees from expensive art schools that are commonly required for employment by large gaming studios. Worse yet, many Title-1 students may not even know that they have an interest in a potential career in gaming because their schools do not offer any hands-on CTE classes to provide that introduction, compared to many affluent high schools across Los Angeles County. This is where the BRIC Foundation’s Game Design Training Program will offer an alternative pathway for young women and people of color of Los Angeles to get the training that they need to get their foot in the door for a well-paying, high-tech career.

This Game Design Training Program is a pilot program focused on top gaming artists and experts guiding 100 high school students on how to create original video games, digital assets, and engaging interactive game experiences. These goals will be measured by:
1) Students will gain hands-on expertise developing and designing an original vide game, including:
•.Design original characters and environments
• Develop a compelling storyline to engage those who will play their games
• Strengthen their digital portfolios to showcase professional artwork for future apprenticeships or entry-level jobs
2) Students will work with industry artists and receive professional critiques, and then apply that feedback to improve their skills and project designs while better understanding the iterative process in creative development
3) School-site educators will be trained in industry skills and techniques so that they can further assist their students in-between and after the Industry Training sessions