Jody Grizzle | Esports holds strong value proposition

Global esports is a billion-dollar industry, with the Caribbean having less than one per cent of the US$1. 38 billion earned at the end of 2022 (https://iesf.org/). The Jamaica Esports Initiative (JEI) is attempting to change this dialogue through their non-profit organisation by engaging competitors, as well as showcasing the entertainment value that esports offer globally.

This strategic direction coupled with the favourable prospects for the industry, means that the tens of hundreds of Jamaican spectators, gamers and enthusiasts at the National Esports League 2023 Championships, have a significant probability of turning their hobby and passion into income generation as the eco-system of esports in the Caribbean develops. This ecosystem includes opportunities for Jamaica’s ever-growing tourist industry as a destination of choice for regional and international esports tournaments. This year, the IESF Championships were held in Iasi, Romania; what about Jamaica as the venue three years from now? How many more tourists would arrive, as spectators for the games, as competitors and of course to check a vacation in Jamaica off their bucket list.

Economic development

And, as the future venue for a global championship, imagine the investments ICT infrastructure to provide faster and more expansive Internet services which would redound to the average citizen.

The UWI Global Campus has partnered with the JEI to support this development by piloting an esports development programme with a mixture of continuing professional education courses and a fully equipped centre for support. This is a bold and positive step for The UWI and our people. It signals that The UWI is being agile in responding to emerging trends for workforce and economic development and innovation. It is significant that The UWI has demonstrated the foresight to provision structured and coordinated access to the population between the ages of 11 and 45 who are avid gamers, for them to explore and benefit from the revenue potential of the industry, while learning and developing core skills to contribute to our society.

There are strong linkages between esports, artificial intelligence, science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (STEAM) courses and immersive technologies, as the fields utilise similar skill-sets. Researchers globally and organisations, such as the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF), endorse this approach. NASEF which is the global education partner of the IESF, envisions students using “esports as a platform to develop STEAM-based skills and social emotional attributes such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities needed to thrive in work and in life”.

Let us contemplate additional home-based advantages. This UWI partnership with the JEI is also importantly aligned with the local need for boys who fall behind in school, as the industry is particularly attractive to boys.

In 2018 at its inception, the JEI attempted to launch a limited esports league for boys in secondary schools. According to Gregory Moore, president of the JEI, the organisation was overwhelmed as it received over 1000 applications from boy schools in Kingston. This is mind-boggling because generally educators struggle to engage boys, and yet this outpouring supports an organic correlation between boys and esports.

Prey to criminal activity

In 2021, Dr Herbert Gayle, a renowned anthropologist, called for initiatives to prevent boys from dropping out of school. He said research has found that boys who successfully complete their post-secondary-level education are up to 10 times less likely to fall prey to criminal activity than those who drop out before ninth grade. “I am begging principals … and senior education officers … try and keep your boys in school, because when they drop out, the gangs cannot wait for them,” Dr Gayle said.

Five years from the first JEI initiative and two years after these findings from Dr Gayle, the Esports in Education Initiative is even more needful and relevant. Can you imagine the engagement of boys and at-risk youths in existing police and other youth clubs to become upskilled, attached, empowered and productive?

The UWI used the opportunity of the esports championships to obtain basic data from the audience and enthusiasts. Over 70 per cent of respondents were males between the ages 16 and 30. 33 per cent of respondents spent between 6 and 10 hours gaming on a weekly basis; 85 per cent would be willing to play esports if they could access tertiary scholarships; 61 per cent were aware of careers in esports; and 76 per cent expressed an interest in pursuing esports as a career.

To say there is significant potential for esports in Jamaica is a pitiful understatement. Facilitating esports clubs facilitates new opportunities for our youths, especially boys. And a learn through play strategy is a creative way to upskill the workforce of tomorrow, today.

Jody Grizzle works with the Digital Learning Innovation Department at The UWI Global Campus. Send feedback to jodygrizz@gmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com