Summary

Esports is a fast-growing global industry, with an estimated value set to reach £1.34 Billion by 2022 and already employs a wide range of individuals from players, shout casters, coaches and content creators. Esports is a competitive and organised gaming industry and involves players competing one versus one or in teams.

Opening in September 2021, The Brunel Centre is a purpose-built facility, constructed to deliver our technology and media subjects. The new and exciting centre is home to high quality facilities, such as editing suites, TV studios and a Gaming Hub, which will be the home of our Esports provision.

Our Level 3 Extended Diploma is equivalent to 3 A-levels and carries up to 168 UCAS points. The Esports programme enables you to create and build teams, develop online communities, utilise digital marketing to promote events, as well as growing business management skills. The programme will explore the psychological skills used and needed for performance in Esports, and provides opportunities to put these skills into practice, in order to optimise your competitive performance. The programme will also explore the ethics of Esports, Esports coaching, and nutrition advice and guidance.

The programme encompasses a wide range of transferable skills, enabling you to not only experience different areas of the Esports sector, but other associated sectors, aiding the progression into employment or Higher Education. You will develop strategies, enterprise and entrepreneurship within the Esports industry, whilst also developing personal skills and tactics for single and multiple player team events. The course will include options to cover units such as:

• Esports Skills, Strategies and Analysis
• Video Production
• Shoutcasting
• Enterprise and Entrepreneurship in the Esports Industry
• Psychology for Esports Performance
• Esports Events
• Live Stream Broadcast
• Business Applications of Esports in Social Media
• Producing an Esports Brand
• Esports Coaching
• Ethical and Current Issues in Esports

Esports Academy
All learners on the Esports programme will have the opportunity to be apart of our SGS Esports Academy, FirstShot. The Esports Academy will provide opportunities for learners to receive high level Esports coaching, participate in inter-college competitions and compete in both the AOC and British Esports competitions and leagues. National competitions will be played from the gaming hub in the SGS Brunel Centre and you will compete within the following games titles:

• Overwatch
• League of Legends
• Rocket League
• Valorant

This Level 3 course is based at our dynamic and exciting WISE Campus, located within easy reach of the City of Bristol and moments away from Bristol Parkway and Filton Abbey Wood train stations.

How will I know how I am doing?

A variety of assessment methods will be used to measure your progress, tracked against your expected grade and target grade. These may include practical tasks and assessments, written assignments, performance reviews, presentations and discussions, all of which will be submitted online.

Learners are given regular feedback to support their understanding of the subject’s topic areas, whilst also receiving feedback to aid the continued development of their numeracy and literacy skills.

What do I need to join?

Applicants will hold a total of 5 GCSE grade 4’s, including English, maths and IT for the Extended Diploma. If applicants require a GCSE retake in English or maths, they can apply for the Diploma option of this course.

How will I learn?

This programme is 100% coursework based. We assess learners using a number of different methods, allowing learners to enhance these types of skills holistically throughout the course. The types of assessment methods range from writing reports and creating a brand, through to delivering practical sessions and formal presentations.

Maths & English

A key requirement for future progression and employment is a good understanding and application of knowledge and skills in both English and maths.

You must have GCSEs at grade 4 or above, in both English and maths for the Extended Diploma option. English and maths skills will be developed holistically within the core programme through a range of activities such as data analysis.

If you achieve a grade 3 in either English or maths, you can apply for the Diploma option of this course and a GCSE retake will be timetabled alongside your programme.

Employability

Possible careers and salaries include:

• Journalism - £13,000 - £80,000
• Social Media Manager - £23,000 - £75,000
• Web Content Creator/ Editor - £22,000 - £37,250
• Video Editing - £18,000 - £45,000
• Event Management - £17,000 - £80,000
• Digital Marketer – £20.000 - £50,000 depending upon experience
• Retail Manager - £20,000 to £70,000 depending upon experience
• Esports Player
• Esports Coach

And many more…

Average yearly salary data taken from the National Careers Services website

Work Experience

Every learner at SGS College is tasked with achieving a number of work experience hours during the academic year. We suggest the learner starts to consider their work experience placement at the earliest opportunity.

The work experience element of the course is imperative as it provides the learner with vital insight into possible roles within the industry. Each of our courses has a high amount of employer engagement, with the aim to expose the learner to possible destinations once the qualification has been completed. Is it these experiences and engagements that allow our learners to develop holistically and to become industry ready.

What can I do next?

This course will provide you with the opportunity to progress within the exciting Esports gaming industry, as well as providing you with the skills to pursue a career in sales, marketing or event management. Beyond this, the course is designed to help you to develop entrepreneurship and enterprise skills, in order to create a start-up business or gain employment in a large-scale organisation. Additionally, with successful completion, there are opportunities to progress to higher-level qualifications, such as SGS’s Foundation Degree in Computer Games Design and Development.