The Georgia Entertainment Media (GEM) (PDF) Work Ready Region initiative focuses on careers in radio, television, film, digital gaming and music.  The goal is to align education, workforce development and training with the needs of business.

GEM and Digital Gaming

Digital gaming is helping to replace some of the well paying jobs lost during the recent recession. And, the Georgia Entertainment Media (GEM) Work Ready Region is helping to lead the way.

Like other Work Ready initiatives, GEM brings together state, local and regional partners to foster the creation of new businesses in the entertainment and digital sectors and ensure that they have the workforce they need to thrive. Funding comes from the federal Workforce Investment Act through a grant from the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development.

ARC is playing a leading role in GEM:

• organizing key regional education and training stakeholders to prepare workers for careers in entertainment and digital media
• identifying critical jobs and occupations necessary for future success
• developing career pathways for the essential jobs
• collaborating with relevant secondary and post-secondary programs to develop curricula and programs that will prepare workers for jobs in this field

GEM is also providing equipment and software to school systems that are participating in the Peach State Career Pathways of Broadcast Video, Interactive Media, and Computing. Nine school systems will receive $6,250 to purchase equipment to enhance and expand their offerings under the pathways. Three systems -- City of Decatur, City of Atlanta and Henry County -- chose to purchase Toon Boom Animation software for the Interactive Media Pathway. Toon Boom is the worldwide leader in digital content and animation creation software.

ARC is also offering Toon Boom software training for digital content creators. Forty-three incumbent workers, drawn from entertainment and media industry partners in metro Atlanta, are receiving the training at no cost to their employers.

Several technical colleges and universities offer programs in digital gaming:

• Gwinnett Tech
• Chattahoochee Tech
• Savannah College of Art and Design
• Georgia Tech
• Southern Polytechnic University

GEM Summer Programs

SMART Academy, an eight-week course for teens sponsored by 100 Black Men of Georgia and the Center for Sustainable Communities

• Toon Boon Animation Industry Network Training held at Gwinnett Tech
• Set Safety Industry Training held at Atlanta Technical College
• Production Assistant Industry Training Co-sponsored by Atlanta Film Festival 365 and Georgia Production Partnership
• Semantic Seed Mobile Game Academy for Youth held at Gwinnett Tech
• Semantic Seed Mobile Game Academy for Youth held at Carver High School of Technology
• Create your Own Video Game and Teen Animation Camps at Clayton State University
• Semantic Seed Mobile Apps and Entrepreneurship College Workshop held at Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC)
• Semantic Seed Mobile Apps and Entrepreneurship College Workshop held at Southern Polytechnic University

Resources:

Georgia Game Developers Association

Read more about GEM and Digital Gaming in Atlanta

• Georgia Entertainment Media Work Ready Region presents industry animation training: Toon Boom comes to town, Creative Loafing, June 28, 2011
• SCAD, Tech honored for gaming programs, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 10, 2011
• Making the region a movie magnet, Atlanta Business Chronicle, November 5, 2010
• Georgia a hotspot in video game development, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 26, 2010
• Get into the game with Gwinnett Tech’s simulation/game developer program, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 5, 2010