Hyper Island UK

This report shows how a new educational model for digital training can benefit the UK's growing digital media industry.

This report shows how a new educational model for digital training can benefit the UK's growing digital media industry.

Key findings:

  • There is a skills gap in the UK's digital workforce
  • We need new educational models to give better digital training to students

The creative industries are forecast to be one of the fastest-growing parts of the UK's economy in the coming years and the digital and interactive media industry will be a significant contributor to that growth. 

 

However, many digital agencies have vacancies which they are struggling to fill and nearly a third of employers in the sector report a skills gap in their current workforce.

 

Hyper Island is an educational model developed in Sweden which aims to meet the growing needs of the interactive media industry by providing students with the skills, capabilities, personal attributes and professional networks to gain employment in the sector. 

 

It is co-designed with industry partners and regularly reviewed with them to ensure that it is relevant and up to date with the opportunities which new technologies afford.

 

This report was commissioned by nesta to understand the specific features of the Hyper Island approach and whether these provide improved employment opportunities for its students. 

 

It has followed the journey of 16 of the students (aged 18-24) from the UK through the programme.

 

Authors:

Nesta and HyperIsland