Gaming scholarships for UVic, Camosun students

Four video game studios, the Victoria Advanced Technology Council and DigiBC have combined to establish new scholarships for students at the University of Victoria and Camosun College.

The scholarships — $1,000 at UVic and $500 at Camosun — will be available for students in UVic’s computer science program and Camosun’s graphic novels program and are designed to help highschool students channel their passion for video games into a career.

“Gaming is unique among the many tech subsectors we have in Victoria. It brings together high-end software developers with graphic artists and world-class storytellers to create consumer products offered around the world,” said VIATeC chief executive Dan Gunn. “We are proud to join our members in creating a scholarship that will play a small part in seeing this emerging sector continue to thrive.”

The studios involved in establishing the scholarship are Codename Entertainment, Kano/Apps, InLight Entertainment and One Bit Labs.

“I’m super stoked that the gaming sector — one of the stars of the local tech sector — is taking it upon themselves to support the up and coming generation of tech workers,” said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps. “This is leadership at its best.”

“Victoria is the place to turn a passion for video games into a career,” said B.C. Technology Minister Amrik Virk. “Over the past nine years the gaming industry here has almost tripled, leading to many high-paying jobs and international successes.”

A study of gaming in Victoria in 2014 showed it had grown into a $24-million industry with 19 studios employing 240 people.