City of Oxford College has announced the launch of new Esports programmes which will be delivered at its Technology Campus in Blackbird Leys from September 2023.
The new Esports Level 2 and Level 3 Diplomas will equip students with the skills to progress into the business of competitive gaming, coaching and event management and will mix the study of modern business, sports enterprise, and creative design within the rapidly growing, and highly lucrative, global Esports industry.
The Esports Level 3 National Extended Diploma is a two-year qualification and is equivalent to three A Levels. On completion, learners can progress into higher education or pursue a career as a competitive player, coach or promoter.
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Nancy Buckley, director of Career Pathways for the Lifestyles faculty at Activate Learning, said: “We are really excited to launch an innovative new programme at the City of Oxford College Technology Campus in Blackbird Leys which has been designed by the British Esports Association and Pearson.
Photo: Oxford Mail
“Both courses will introduce learners to the rapidly growing industry of Esports and equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to start a successful career within this rewarding and fast-paced industry.”
The courses will offer an introduction to Esports and how it began in competitive online gaming and will encourage learners to explore all areas of the industry including entrepreneurship, health, wellbeing and fitness for Esports players and events management.
Learners will also be able to specialise in other modules including shout-casting, branding, video production and games design.
Esports – multiplayer video games – is a rapidly growing industry with events watched online and attended by millions of viewers.
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The popularity of Esports has increased during the coronavirus pandemic as fans were not able to attend sports fixtures due to the requirement for social distancing. Recent examples include Premier League players participating in competitive FIFA tournaments and F1 drivers regularly streaming iRacing on Twitch. Designed with the British Esports Association and Endpoint Esports Ltd, City of Oxford College’s Technology Campus in Blackbird Leys will be creating a bespoke gaming room for this new course, with state-of-the-art equipment for playing, analysing and shout-casting.
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Students will also be able to take advantage of a dedicated term-time bus service from Oxford railway station. Course tutors will be available to answer questions about the new Esports courses at the City of Oxford College Technology Campus Open Event in Blackbird Leys today from 09.30am to 12.30pm.
This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk
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