Epic Games unveils apprenticeship program for Unreal Engine

Fortnite developer Epic Games is launching an apprenticeship program through a partnership with non-profit Apprenti.

The basics: The collaboration is focused on Unreal Engine, its popular game engine.

• Epic Games will match a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to get the program going.
• The developer will provide access to its Unreal Authorized Training Centers to support and train apprentices with the goal of meeting the "overwhelming requirement" in the workforce for skills in Unreal Engine.
• "Apprenticeship programs not only offer an effective solution to the tech talent gap, they also have the potential to enrich the lives of people and communities," said Epic Games' Director of Unreal Engine Education, Julie Lottering.

The market: The apprenticeship program is designed to help close the gap between supply and demand.

• Apprenti has worked with the likes of Amazon, PayPal, and JPMorgan Chase to place apprentices in their workforces.
• In a 2021 report in collaboration with Burning Glass Technologies, Epic Games analyzed the market for 3D technology skills around the world. It found that salaries in this field are increasing year-on-year but the demand is currently much larger than the supply.
• The same report stated that, in 2019, Unreal Engine skills paid 34% more than the average market salary in the United Kingdom. It also revealed that Unity skills paid 43% more than average and that, in the U.S., employers are "willing to pay the salary premium" for specialist knowledge in 3D graphics.