Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of apprenticeships that are available for training in the video games sector as of 19 June 2023.

The government is committed to supporting employers in all sectors, including those in the video games industry, to use our high-quality apprenticeships to build the skilled workforces they need now and in the future.

Employers in the video games industry have developed a number of apprenticeship standards, including Level 4 Digital Community Manager, Level 4 Junior Animator, and Level 7 Game Programmer.

The department is increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year to support more employers and learners to benefit from apprenticeships such as these.

The department continues to support the digital sector more broadly and we are promoting flexible training models, such as flexi-job apprenticeships, to make it easier for sectors where short-term, project-based employment is the norm to benefit from apprenticeships. The department is also supporting the Digital Skills Council, led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which brings together government and industry led action to address the current and future demand for digital skills.