The 12-Week Program, “Level Up U” Prepares
Professionals from Within and Outside the Games Industry for
Full-Time Engineering Roles at Activision and Blizzard
Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) has launched today its
first-of-its-kind, groundbreaking talent training program called
Level Up U. This immersive program prepares non-industry
professionals and develops industry professionals to become
full-time game developers. The program launches at a time when the
industry’s demand for engineering talent outpaces the available
qualified professionals with game development experience and the
necessary job requirements.
“Talent and diversity have always been critical to our success.
The rapid growth of the industry, including our franchises, has
made it clear that we need to find new ways to attract and grow
talent,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. “This is
the first of many Level Up U programs, and our plan is to expand to
other skill areas such as art and animation. I’m incredibly excited
about the potential of Level Up U.”
Through a combination of on-site and virtual training, Level Up
U is a 12-week program that prepares and develops professionals for
engineering positions at Activision and Blizzard. The first class
is made up of 104 participants, including external candidates as
well as current employees, interested in upleveling their
engineering expertise or switching to engineering from other
backgrounds. After a rigorous application process, they come to
Activision Blizzard with a diverse set of skills from a wide
variety of industries including medicine, finance, and
aerospace.
Level Up U is Activision Blizzard’s first major program funded
through the $250 million investment announced last October to
accelerate opportunities in gaming and technology for
under-represented communities. As a result of recruiting for a
broader set of skills, experiences, and capabilities, we were able
to attract a diverse class, with 40% of the class representing
underrepresented ethnic groups and 45% women and non-binary
participants.
“We looked at a broader set of skills, experiences, and
capabilities that we believe matter most to an employee’s success
at Activision Blizzard and revisited where those skills exist in
the market,” said Julie Hodges, Chief People Officer of Activision
Blizzard. “We hope this will lead to greater talent mobility both
within Activision Blizzard and in the games industry.”
The program is led by Tad Leckman, Dean of Level Up U and a
twenty-year learning and development veteran. He has created
training programs for artists, designers, writers, and engineers at
Industrial Light and Magic, Blizzard Entertainment, Riot Games and
Lucasfilm Animation. In addition to his work in the entertainment
industry, he has taught at various universities including the
University of California Santa Cruz.
Leckman, in partnership with internal learning teams, game
engineers, and external partners, created a curriculum that
provides participants with the technical skills required of the
job, an understanding of game development fundamentals, and
important skills for working as part of a team, including
problem-solving, communications, adaptability, and inclusion.
Participants will have the opportunity to integrate their skills
and apply their coursework by working on a two-week, hands-on
project using one of Activision Blizzard’s robust game engines to
make a unique, playable game mode. Each week, the program will
include discussions and insight from game developers across
multiple Activision Blizzard studios, and exposure to the company’s
leadership through formal and informal community-building
events.
Every candidate joins Level Up U as a full-time employee. Upon
successful completion of the program, participants will continue to
be coached and mentored by employees as they integrate into roles
at Activision Blizzard that fit their individual skills.
About Activision
Blizzard
Our mission, to connect and engage the world through epic
entertainment, has never been more important. Through communities
rooted in our video game franchises, we enable hundreds of millions
of people to experience joy, thrill and achievement. We enable
social connections through the lens of fun, and we foster purpose
and a sense of accomplishment through healthy competition. Like
sport, but with greater accessibility, our players can find purpose
and meaning through competitive gaming. Video games, unlike any
other social or entertainment media, have the ability to break down
the barriers that can inhibit tolerance and understanding.
Celebrating differences is at the core of our culture and ensures
we can create games for players of diverse backgrounds in the 190
countries our games are played.
As a member of the Fortune 500 and as a component company of the
S&P 500, we have an extraordinary track record of delivering
superior shareholder returns for over 30 years.
Our enduring franchises are some of the world’s most popular,
including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Warcraft®, Overwatch®,
Diablo®, StarCraft®, Candy Crush™, Bubble Witch™, Pet Rescue™ and
Farm Heroes™. Our sustained success has enabled the company to
support corporate social responsibility initiatives that are
directly tied to our franchises. As an example, our Call of Duty
Endowment has helped find employment for over 100,000 veterans.
Learn more information about Activision Blizzard and how we
connect and engage the world through epic entertainment on the
company's website, www.activisionblizzard.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:
Information in this press release that involve Activision
Blizzard’s expectations, plans, or intentions regarding the future,
including statements about future plans for Level Up U and our
ability to attract, retain, and motivate skilled personnel are
forward looking statements that are not facts and involve a number
of risks and uncertainties. We caution that a number of important
factors, many of which are beyond our control, could cause our
actual future circumstances to differ materially from those
expressed in any forward-looking statements, including the factors
regarding the success of Level Up U, and the factors identified in
the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent
annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based
upon information available to Activision Blizzard as of the date of
this release, and Activision Blizzard does not assume any
obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may
ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are subject to
risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond
Activision Blizzard’s control and may cause actual results to
differ materially from current expectations.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220711005894/en/
For press inquiries: pr@activisionblizzard.com
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