Following the global debut of Unreal Engine 5, a far beefier and enhanced game creation platform, Epic Games sidles up alongside nonprofit apprenticeship organization Apprenti. The dual goal is to expand upon the digital entertainment and video game industry workforce through well-rounded initiatives that allow newcomers to learn various skills in Unreal Engine.
Epic Games has already put up $100,000 in tandem with the Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeships' existing funding. The Fortnite creator will likewise be opening up its Unreal Authorized Training Centers through digital art and animation college CG Spectrum, which partnered up with Epic Games back in Sept. of last year.
"We are excited to collaborate with Epic and Apprenti on this initiative," says CG Spectrum's Jeremy Chinn. "This co-investment will allow us to work closely with Epic's customers and industry leaders to train and inspire creators, while leveraging the Apprenti model to increase access to expert-led development and coaching across these industries."
Apprenti was first established in 2016, enlisting aid to undervalued communities through educational support, job training, and career fast-tracking based solely within the technology sector. It has worked alongside tech leaders such as PayPal and Amazon, bridging new staff through internship programs for those in need of employment and job education.
A majority of its efforts are focused on the marginalized, as nearly 85% of its apprenticeship programs are of non-traditional backgrounds. The nonprofit is currently expanding, looking for greater avenues and investors for a more holistic training program that's registered on the national level. Applenti is looking to expand its insights into alternative industries, main among them being architecture, automotive, and, as one may guess, video gaming.
"The content created by the gaming industry needs to include the viewpoints of its consumers," relays Jennifer Carlson of Apprenti. "It's imperative that game developers reflect the diversity of end-users. Beyond this, an apprenticeship based in Unreal Engine skills will provide a pathway to careers not just in gaming but in broad industries such as film, television, advertising, and manufacturing. We are proud to partner with Epic Games and help underrepresented individuals explore lucrative careers in interactive media."
Although explicitly marketed as a video game engine, wherein the development of experiences is made all the more streamlined, Unreal Engine can be utilized in a variety of assorted use cases. Some of the most popular shows, like The Mandalorian and Westworld, leverage Unreal Engine for enhanced VFX work. Talented musicians, like Project Peters, have used the platform to build full-length music videos of a kind never before seen.
To see UE as but a mere video game creation tool is looking at it from a far too minimalist perspective, as the Epic Games' platform can be used in a ton of varied concepts, from architectural design blueprinting to animated 3D art. Said areas are where skills of this nature are incredibly needed, as one report via Epic Games itself shows that real-time 3D skills are an exponential demand, seeing a 30 times increase in Singapore alone.
"As demand for real-time skills continues to grow, apprenticeship programs not only offer an effective solution to the tech talent gap, they also have the potential to enrich the lives of people and communities, connecting them with invaluable resources and opportunities. At Epic, we're working alongside Apprenti to deliver Unreal Engine apprenticeship programs for games, media and entertainment, and beyond," explains Julie Lottering of Epic Games. "This partnership is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential industry-transcending impact, and we couldn't be more excited for the future."
