nDreams Academy Impact Report 2024

The mission of the nDreams Academy is to break down barriers to entry into the games industry, champion diversity, and inspire industry-wide transformation.

It has been over three years since the nDreams Academy launched back in April 2021, and what a journey it has been!

From recruiting our first interns to bringing together a group of passionate Outreach Champions, to evolving into a multi-award-winning education and talent development programme, the Academy is now a recognised industry leader in this space. With a shifting landscape in the games industry, and changes for us as a company, we felt it was the perfect time to reflect on the Academy’s achievements and explore its future direction.

So, before the year ends, let's share our key successes over the past three years!

What are some of our proudest moments?

With the continued lack of entry-level opportunities to support people to take their first steps into the game industry, we are proud to have opened doors for 67 individuals since 2021, joining us on a range of programmes including apprenticeships, work experience and our ‘Academy Trainee’ positions.

The people we welcome onboard represent diverse ranges of backgrounds, reflecting our commitment to inclusive recruitment practices and entry-level roles. The experience of people joining us has also been overwhelmingly positive, for instance, 100% of work experience students reported they had a positive and productive placement.

The commitment to growing our own and investing in talent is evident, with 17% of our current workforce having joined us through Academy, and of 90% of early careers employees in our development studios are promoted after their initial programme.

But it doesn’t stop there. Our outreach programme exists so we can extend our support to early career talent, beyond the roles we can offer. We recognise the value that industry exposure can have on those exploring their careers, studying or job-searching. We aim to inspire a new generation of game developers, share our experience, and give individuals the tools to succeed in the industry.

Since 2023, we have engaged over 13,000 people. Enabled by our internal group of enthusiastic Outreach Champions, we have been able to support numerous initiatives to educate and motivate individuals about careers in the games industry.

We couldn’t do our work without the insights, support and expertise of our Partners. Partnerships have always been central to the Academy’s mission of fostering equality, diversity and inclusion at nDreams and within the wider games industry. Over the years, we have partnered with eight organisations such as Into Games, Out Making Games and Appeer. Through these partnerships we’ve been able to help move the needle in creating a more inclusive industry. A key example of this is our facilitation of work placements for autistic young women at Appeer to help them explore the world of work.

What next for the nDreams Academy?

The nDreams Academy has been a significant driver of talent development and innovation within nDreams, while also making meaningful contributions to diversity and inclusivity in the wider games industry. Through our Pipeline, Partnerships, and Outreach programmes, we have successfully recruited and developed a new generation of game devs, fostered relationships with external organisations, and inspired young people to pursue careers in games. But what next?

Our priorities moving forward include diversifying early career pathways and creating more variety in the opportunities we create, deepening our strategic partnerships to continue to work towards a diverse and inclusive industry, and investing in the growth and progression of our internal team.

We look forward to many more achievements to come and continuing this important work of breaking down barriers, championing diversity and inspiring the next generation of the games industry.

Read more about the Academy’s Impact here.