Thunder Esports Academy Set to Launch

Team Norse Thunder’s academy program is set to launch next week with young people from across the Midlands coming together to take their first steps into the esports industry. 

The academy, which was been developed in partnership with The Strive Group, aims to help young people realise their potential and give them a path into an industry they are passionate about. 

The free six-week program will support students through maths and English qualifications and intensive career planning, all while providing hands-on work experience in the esports industry. 

The work experience portion of the program will be tailored to each student’s career plan, with opportunities to explore marketing, production, finance, and other areas of the industry too. At the end of the program, students will then have an opportunity to progress onto an esports course at a local college or into an industry job. 

The University of Birmingham’s ‘Exchange’ building in the heart of Birmingham city centre will play host to the academy program, while industry speakers will join sessions in-person and virtually. 

Speaking about the launch, Team Norse Thunder’s Dave Scotford said: “This is a massive step not only for us as an organisation, but for the esports scene here in the West Midlands too. There’s so much talent and passion that hasn’t been tapped into in this part of the world, and the academy is about enabling that talent to thrive. 

“We’re building a proper pathway for people into the industry, into esports education, and into jobs. This has been a project that we’ve been working on for a long while and so I’m really excited to see it all coming together.

“The Strive Group and the University of Birmingham have been brilliant in helping us make this all happen. I can’t wait to see everyone bright and early at The Exchange on Monday and getting stuck into things!”