UK games industry

TIGA, the trade association representing the UK games industry, today responded to the results of the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  The tests were sat in 2009 by students in all 34 OECD member states and assessed the reading, maths and science levels of the world’s 15 year-olds.  Out of 34 OECD members, the UK came twentieth in a league table of the world’s state schools.  Amongst the OECD countries, South Korea took top place, Canada came third and the USA came fourteenth. 

“The latest PISA results for the UK are disappointing.  They show that despite an increase in investment in education over recent years there has not been a commensurate improvement in results.  In the PISA tests sat in 2000, Britain was a little above the OECD average for reading but the UK has now regressed to average.  If the UK is to have a successful knowledge economy then the Government must ensure we have a highly educated workforce.

“The UK Coalition Government must drive up standards in areas including reading, mathematics and science to ensure that UK businesses, including the video games industry, have access to a highly skilled workforce.”

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Notes to editors:

About TIGA:

TIGA is the trade association representing the UK’s games industry. The majority of our members are either independent games developers or in-house publisher owned developers. We also have games publishers, outsourcing companies, technology businesses and universities amongst our membership.

TIGA was awarded ‘Trade Association of the Year’ and the ‘Member Recruitment Award’ at the Trade Association Forum Best Practice Awards 2010. TIGA has also been named as a finalist in the 2010 Chartered Management Institute (CMI) National Management and Leadership Awards in the category of ‘The Outstanding Organisation of the Year Award (SME)’. TIGA is an Investors in People organisation.

TIGA's vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games business.  We focus on three sets of activities: political representation, generating media coverage and developing services that enhance the competitiveness of our members.  This means that TIGA members are effectively represented in the corridors of power, their voice is heard in the media and they receive benefits that make a material difference to their businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial opportunities.

For further information, please contact Eva Field, TIGA PR Manager on: 07814 039 983, or email eva@tiga.org .