In today’s fast-moving creative industries, traditional education alone often isn’t enough to prepare students for work. Employers are looking for job-ready talent, with real-world experience, not just technical skills. That’s why intensive, industry-led Bootcamps have become a game-changer for both learners and institutions, and NextGen is leading the way with the RISE platform.
NextGen has been at the forefront of vocational education in Games, Animation and VFX since our inception in 2014. We support emerging talent, industry, and education in developing the next generation of professionals for the creative industries. By expanding accessible educational pathways, we champion equality, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring the next wave of digital talent is truly representative of society.
To achieve these goals, we believe strongly in the power of industry backed training, not just in developing course content, but also being an active part of its delivery through masterclasses, feedback on student work, and meaningful industry engagement.
For students, this level of contact is inspiring and validating as they work toward their future careers. But for educators and institutions, it also creates stronger industry ties, more employable graduates, and is another compelling reason for students to choose their courses.
We understand the challenges that students face when transitioning into industry, and we’ve built a strong reputation for developing training that prepares them for their first roles in industry. Throughout this work, one of the biggest recurring challenges we have found for these students is the ability to gain real-world experience in the industries they love.
This lack of experience presents challenges for both students and employers. While graduates often have strong technical skills, they may struggle with industry workflows, responding to feedback, and working within a professional team environment.
Short courses and Bootcamps offer a solution by providing intensive, industry-focused training designed to develop both technical and employability skills. These high-impact courses are tailored to align with what employers need right now, helping learners gain practical experience, build confidence, and enhance their portfolios - all within a structured, supportive environment.
For educators, integrating bootcamps into your curriculum means improving student employability outcomes, strengthening industry relationships, and offering flexible, in-demand training that complements traditional learning pathways.
Short courses have been part of NextGen since the beginning. We have been working with The King’s Trust (formally The Prince’s Trust) for over a decade to deliver the Get Started in Games course with Sony PlayStation, and have designed and delivered multiple courses and bootcamps for partners including Warner Bros. Rocksteady Studios, Games Yorkshire, the Mayor of London, and the West of England Combined Authority.
From this experience the RISE platform (formally SkillsXchange) was developed to further bridge the gap between education and employment. We worked in partnership with Tom Box, Co-Founder of Blue Zoo Animation Studio, to build and test the first iteration of RISE in 2021 through two bootcamps with Blue Zoo. The results were incredible as can be seen in the videos below!
Since then, RISE has been a stable part of our bootcamp delivery, continuously improving in response to student and industry feedback to ensure an engaging, impactful learning experience.
NextGen RISE Bootcamps differ from normal curriculum delivery in that they are short bursts of intensive studio-style learning and practise. They are a way to test, refine, embed, and further existing skills, while students gain vital experience in what it’s like to work in a professional setting.
Each team has deadlines to work towards, receives real industry feedback on their work, and builds vital employability and transferable skills such as communication, teamwork and problem solving as they all work towards their common goal.
To further enhance the learning experience, we provide one-on-one career coaching, mentoring, and tailored progression support to help participants set realistic career goals.
Skills Bootcamps aren’t just about teaching technical skills - they’re about building confidence and employability skills to accelerate students’ careers
Want to bring RISE Bootcamps to your institution? Let’s schedule a call.
Or find out more and fill in the short form on our Educators page to explore how NextGen RISE can support your students and enhance your curriculum.