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Belfast Met Partners with NextGen Skills Academy To Offer Exciting New Industry Projects
Belfast Met has collaborated with NextGen Skills Academy and Northern Ireland Screen in an exciting new innovative partnership to enhance education in Northern Ireland.
This new two-year programme will facilitate direct industry engagement from a range of international and local creative studios. It is aimed at improving students’ employability prospects in the creative industry, one of the fastest growing industries in Northern Ireland’s economy.
From September 2023, Belfast Met will offer two courses in conjunction with NextGen – Visual Effects and Digital Art & Animation. Equivalent to three A Levels, course is aimed at school leavers who have a passion for games, animation, and visual effects.
This new initiative will enable students to work on live industry projects, receive feedback from employers and sharpen their skills to professional standards.
Welcoming the initiative, Marcia Deakin, Co-Founder of NextGen said: "NextGen Skills Academy is excited and proud to collaborate with Northern Ireland Screen to enhance the Further Education provision in Northern Ireland. The screen industries are vibrant across Northern Ireland, and we look forward to working closely with local studios to create an Employer Steering Group.
“Through this work and our industry engagement opportunities, students will gain valuable exposure to current best practices, boosting their confidence and employability skills, thus laying a strong foundation for their creative careers."
Janis Leaden, Curriculum Area Manager for Gaming and Multimedia at Belfast Met said: “Belfast Met is delighted to be a partner in this innovative pilot programme which will enhance our Level 3 courses in Visual Effects (VFX) and Digital Art & Animation.
“Our students will have exciting opportunities to work on industry projects to develop their creative and employability skills and gain vital employer feedback.”