School Internship Games 2023: Wrap Up

The School Internship Games 2023 program served as a collaborative initiative designed to introduce students to professional career paths within the games industry. Held in Hamburg, the three-week program provided 16 students with hands-on experience and exposure to various development disciplines, including quality assurance, 3D animation, motion capture, audio design, game design, and project management. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between secondary education and the professional sector by offering practical insights into the industry’s diverse vocational and academic requirements.

The program was organized through a partnership between the Initiative Creative Gaming, local studios InnoGames, Deep Silver FISHLABS, and Tivola Games, alongside the HAW University of Applied Sciences and Gamecity Hamburg. Throughout the duration of the internship, participants rotated through the participating studios and the university, culminating in a final presentation where students showcased their own game projects to industry professionals. This structure allowed students to engage directly with the realities of game development while receiving guidance on future educational and career trajectories.

Recognized as a formal company internship within the school curriculum, the program has been conducted four times since 2021 as part of a broader effort to foster the next generation of developers in the Hamburg region. Beyond this specific internship, Gamecity Hamburg continues to support industry outreach through its Gamecity@School program, which connects students with industry experts for classroom-based insights. Applications for subsequent iterations of the internship remain open to 9th-grade students, reflecting a sustained commitment to developing local talent pipelines for the regional games sector.