Electronic Arts (EA) has today announced two new partnerships to help bridge the gap between education and industry, through teaming up with not-for-profit organization Digital Schoolhouse (DSH) and expanding their partnership with education technology company EVERFI.

The partnerships will target 150 primary and secondary-schools across the UK and aim to improve engagement with computer science while inspiring the next generation to pursue a career in STEAM. The partnerships are timely due to the UK’s growing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic skills gap most recently reported to cost the nation over £1.5bn per year1, highlighting the opportunity for industry leaders to collaborate with educators and provide creative solutions to build engagement and skills for STEAM careers.

Through its new partnership with Digital Schoolhouse, EA will launch a creative “Computing workshop” for teachers. Primary-school students at the 52 schools within DSH’s network will work with video game Knockout City, which is developed by Velan Studios as part of the EA Originals programme, to explore what it takes to teach an AI to play dodgeball. The interactive workshops use online and offline activities to break down complex game mechanics into simple instructions. By the end of the session, each primary school student will be able to use their experiences playing dodgeball to plan and create their own algorithms and put them to the test in-game.

Additionally, building on its already-established partnership with EVERFI, EA is bringing its cloud-based education course EA Play to Learn to the UK. The co-developed course showcases STEAM skills through an engaging format that mirrors how these skills would be applied in a real-life Game Design Team. The free course will be accessible to EVERFI’s UK network of educators and be targeted at students aged 11-14.

EA’s partnerships with DSH and EVERFI build on the investment it has already made in the UK, having previously established partnerships with the likes of BAFTA and Special Effect, as well as mental health charities CALM and Ditch the Label. With EA’s partnership with EVERFI already reaching more than 16,000 students annually in America and Canada since its inception in 2015, this latest investment is reflective of EA’s commitment to empower the next generation of talent with the skills they need to thrive in a digital economy and investing in the communities in which it is present.

Year 6 class taking part in the Digital Schoolhouse Knockout City workshop at a Primary School in Salford yesterday.

Commenting on the partnerships, Chris Bruzzo, Chief Experience Officer of Electronic Arts, said: “We are truly excited to be announcing our partnerships with Digital Schoolhouse and EVERFI. We believe young people of all backgrounds should be given the opportunity to develop the skills they need for a future in STEAM and are proud to play our part in making that a reality. We’ve had a presence in the UK for over 30 years and these partnerships are the next step of our firm commitment to invest in and inspire the next generation of talent in the UK. We look forward to seeing what we achieve together.”

Shahneila Saeed, Programme Director for Digital Schoolhouse and Head of Education for Ukie, added “Electronic Arts’ support for the Digital Schoolhouse programme is a big boost to our efforts to bring Computing to life through the power of play, equipping pupils with the skills and creativity needed to thrive in the modern economy. Their support will help us reach more schools, support more teachers and help pupils connect with the industry that they love in their local areas, bringing benefits to their communities in the process.”

Nick Fuller MBE, EVERFI President (International), said: “We are excited about our work with Electronic Arts: together we will drive impact in the communities they serve. We are proud to work alongside Digital Schoolhouse to bring Endeavour – EA Play to Learn to schools in the UK. It is not enough for students to simply have STEAM skills, students also need to apply creative thinking to spark the innovation needed to solve the challenges of the 21st century. Together, through Play to Learn, we are reimagining how young people prepare for and pursue STEAM careers. “