Data is the foundation of any successful strategy. When I wrote the Level Up Scotland Games Action Plan, it was built on 1,000 data points collected over 22 workshops because I knew that without hard evidence, our industry remains invisible to policymakers. Today, I am asking for your help to sharpen that evidence by supporting a new initiative from Gina Jackson (OBE) and the team at Skillfull.
Two years after the launch of the landmark The Skills Crisis in the UK Games Sector report, Gina is checking back in. The global landscape has shifted significantly since 2024 – the volatility of the global market continues, the growing number of games students and the ongoing lack of dedicated and knowledgeable business support remain. To ensure Scotland and the UK stay ahead of these changes, we need to understand exactly what is happening on the ground.
A Collaborative UK Effort
SGN is proud to be a partner in this survey alongside other key regional organisations, including our friends at Games London, Game Republic, and Northern Ireland Screen. This is not just another industry questionnaire; it is a unified effort to map the current challenges and priorities of developers, publishers, and service providers across the whole of the UK.
For the Scottish ecosystem, this data is vital. We already know our developers deliver over £151,000 GVA per head – more than double the national average – but to sustain that productivity, we must align our education and training pipelines with real-world industry needs. By taking part, you are helping me to ensure that the ‘Golden Thread’ of games technology continues to power not just our sector, but the wider Scottish economy.
Direct from Skillfull
Gina Jackson, the founder of Skillfull and a champion in supporting games ecosystem skills, is aiming for a high level of engagement to ensure the results are statistically significant.
Two years after launching The Skills Crisis in the UK Games Sector report at the London Games Festival, we’re checking back in. With the support of these incredible organisations: London Games Festival, Game Republic, Invest Warwickshire, Liverpool GameChangers, Manchester Games Network, NextGen Skills Academy, Norfolk Game Developers, Northern Ireland Screen, Scottish Games Network and Sussex Games, we’re running a new survey to better understand the current landscape across the games industry. We want to hear directly from you.
Whether you’re an indie, mobile, console or VR developer, publisher, investor, or service provider, your perspective matters. Tell us what’s happening in your business, the challenges you’re facing, and where your skills priorities lie today.
Your input will help shape a clearer picture of the industry and inform future action.
My Ask: Let’s Help Hit the Target
With over 140 studios across the Scottish games community, this is a chance to ensure our perspective is represented in the final report. This data will be a direct rebuttal to any narrative that suggests the skills crisis is solved or that a one-size-fits-all approach from London is sufficient for our needs.
The survey takes only a few minutes to complete, but the impact of your answers will be felt for years as we use this information to lobby the incoming government and the civil service.
Take the survey here: Skillfull Skills Pulse Survey.
Follow Gina Jackson for updates: LinkedIn.