Paving way in gaming career
STUDENT IS
A HARTLEPOOL student will be the first person in the town to study esports at university.
William Callaghan has clinched a place at Manchester’s UCFB Etihad Campus, where he will study for a degree in the subject. The Manchester University Campus of Football Business is also home to the premier league champions.
Gaming might be seen as a hobby for many, but Hartlepool College of Further Education wanted to change the perception and turn young people into “athletes” in the sport. This was why it launched a Level 3 Esports course, and William was one of the first group of students.
Esports is the rapidly growing industry surrounding professional competitive video gaming, following in the footsteps and foundations of traditional sports. Countries in Europe and Asia, as well as the US, have already embraced esports within their cultures and society, fully supporting professional gaming as a viable career option.
Speaking of William’s success in clinching the university place, Paul Donnelly, esports lecturer at Hartlepool College, said: “It’s fantastic. William will be one of the first people in the country to go on such a
course because university courses in that area have only just started doing it.
“This has been a huge experience for them all. They have developed so many different skills from doing the
esports qualification at college. Their attitudes, confidence, general knowledge, problem solving and employability skills have all improved massively.
“Take Will for example, he now
has a fully focused career path ahead of him and he is showing that esports is a viable career option.
“This is the start of a new generation of new opportunities and I am so proud this group of students will be at the forefront of that.”
William, 19, a former pupil at English Martyrs and Sacred Heart schools in Hartlepool, will be heading to Manchester in September.
He is open-minded about the role he will end up in when he eventually secures employment, but he is confident that will be the industry he will work in.
He said: “I would like to be part of an esports media team involved in the live streaming. I like to be on camera so it would be nice to be at the front of something, maybe ‘shout-casting,’ which is like being a commentator. There are actually so many jobs in esports.”
William, a former Pools Youth grassroots footballer, said his perception has been completely changed after his first two years studying esports, which is a competitive environment that has developed into a multibillion-pound industry worldwide in recent years.
He said: “There is a lot more to it than just gaming and tournaments.
“There is the huge business side of things, but there is also the psychological side of it you learn during studies, which helps with your general health, fitness and overall wellbeing.
“I’m looking forward to learning even more about it at uni where things will become even more indepth.”
TOWN’S FIRST TO TACKLE ESPORTS COURSE