British Esports and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) have partnered to create more opportunities for students in the esports industry.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed between the two groups that will give ASCL members (like teachers, academy CEOS, etc) support and advice/guidance when it comes to competitive video gaming.
British Esports will also be part of the ASCL Annual Conference and other events, while also organizing student esports tournaments. It will also provide development opportunities for digital skills, such as a webinar series for colleges.
According to British Esports and the ASCL, school esports clubs and tournaments have improved student engagement with schoolwork, including things like behavior and attendance, by giving students a place to belong.
Not only will this partnership bring more opportunities for students in esports, but it also creates a safe online environment for the students. It also helps grow skills like teamwork and communication, problem-solving, and even leadership. These skills are easily transferable to careers in the tech industry outside of esports.
British Esports Vice President Tom Dore shared comments about the partnership with the Association of School and College Leaders:
“Esports forms an exciting part of many young people’s lives, and schools have a key role to play in supporting them to engage in it safely, with balance.
Our new partnership with ASCL is about giving school leaders the tools, knowledge and confidence to understand the opportunities esports can provide – from digital skills to developing teamwork and communication. We look forward to helping ASCL members to support young people to pursue their passions in a safe, healthy way.”
Pepe Di’lasio, the General Secretary of the ASCL, is also excited about the partnership:
“We are delighted to partner with British Esports. This is an industry that has evolved rapidly in recent years and is now extremely popular among children and young people, as well as having a number of transferable skills.
We are really pleased that, through this partnership, we can provide ASCL members with the tools and information required to safely provide esports opportunities for students.”
British Esports has been hard at work over the past year to facilitate esports in student areas. For example, last year it announced a PUBG Mobile student tournament, and earlier this year, it invited students as young as 13 to take part in a Rocket League tournament.
