Celebrating Neurodiversity Week
On 10th March 2022, UKIE released their second UK Games Industry Census, to compare the working habits and demographics of the Industry in comparison to the rest of the UK working population. The annual census is an important undertaking that signposts where, as an industry, we are succeeding and what aspects provide room for improvement or further investigation. We were proud to support Ukie as a studio partner this year.
The study showed that 18% of people who took part in the survey reported a neurodevelopmental condition such as Autism and ADHD – indicating the games industry has a higher percentage of neurodivergent people working in it than the rest of the UK working-age population. It’s truly great to see this neurodiversity in the workforce, helping to create games with numerous unique viewpoints behind them, and to illustrate that the industry is working towards better accessibility.
We want to continue to encourage neurodivergent individuals to seek out careers in the games industry, which is a job well suited to the nDreams Academy! Last week, our Learning and Development Manager, Daniel Woodward, invited six students from the Cambian Group into the studio. The Cambian Group provide specialised education to Autistic people. You can learn more about the work they do here.
The group received a tour around the studio, showcasing what the general atmosphere and working environment of a games company is like. The students especially seemed to enjoy getting to playtest a few of our VR games that we had on hand – one of them was particularly excited about Phantom: Covert Ops and couldn’t wait to get home and download it onto their own headset!
The day also included a presentation about careers in games, the kind of roles available, as well as some tips and tricks on getting your foot in the door and standing out to hiring managers. The group was so engaged throughout, and it was amazing to see them so interested in video game careers, as well as what we do!
Dan received some amazing feedback from the school afterward, and he was really humbled by the words of encouragement:
“The students have been so inspired by you. I think what really stood out for us was the journey that you’ve been on to get where you are today and the complete passion for your role!”
We’re so proud of the work Dan has undertaken with the nDreams Academy and we hope to inspire more people to join our growing industry and team! We hope with more visits and the growth of vital initiatives that we can continue to encourage new talent to consider video games as an enriching and viable career. The games industry is open to all who wish to join it.
If you’re an educational institution, specialist provider, or health service looking to arrange a collaboration with our Academy team, please email academy@ndreams.com
- Sarah Hammond [Internal Communications Associate]
