First cohort of BTEC Esports students get their grades

Young people who got their Esports BTEC results this week are looking forward to securing work in a massive and growing industry

Alex Reece is one of the first cohort to complete the BTEC Esports extended diploma which was a new course that began two years ago.

The 18-year-old from Dagenham has secured a Broadcast Production Assistant Apprenticeship in the esports department of the East London Institute of Technology, which will involve him helping with setting up equipment in the college’s state-of-the-art esports arena. Once he has completed that, he is aiming to get a job in the booming esports industry.

The BTEC isn’t simply about gaming, although many of the first cohort chose to study it because, like Alex, they were so keen on playing. “I play games for up to 10 hours a day”, says Alex, “A few years ago I started watching esports. It’s just like how people are with football, they watch matches, follow players and support teams. The team I most enjoy watching is called Cloud9.”

As Alex says, esports is much wider than just gaming.  It’s for coders, You Tuber’s and animators, who not only game, but who want to develop the knowledge and skills needed for esports careers. The jobs available include eventplanning, sports journalism, coaching, sponsorship sales, branding and design, PR/marketing roles and technical roles like the apprenticeship Alex has secured for himself. 

In 2020, more than 200 million viewers tuned into esports competitions, it’s a staggering figure that represents the growing popularity of gaming. Games such as Fortnite are raking in more than 300 million registered players, with gamers earning more than £900,000 for playing professionally.  Revenue in the esports market in the UK is projected to reach US$43.33m in 2022. More people than ever are being drawn towards the industry and the career opportunities it presents.

Another East London Institute of Technology student won the British Esports Student FIFA Championships in July.  David Croxford, from Lewisham, studies esports at the College. Gaming has been a passion of David’s for many years.  By the time he was 12 he was competing in esports competitions, and he has since gone on to compete at national esports championships.    

Elliot Bond, Head of Community Development, British Esports Federation says,

“We (British Esports) are proud and excited to provide a pathway that allows students to follow their passion, and to see these students demonstrate their talent as they journey through their education.”

Yesterday, a delighted Alex received his BTEC results, discovering that he achieved a D*D*D for his Esports BTEC.  He said:

“Finding something I really enjoy has boosted my confidence.  I’ve done even better than I thought I would!”