North East England offers one of the most skilled, loyal and affordable workforces in the country. We have some of the lowest labour turnover levels in the UK and highly competitive international labour costs.
The costs of hiring a video game designed in the North East is 40% lower than London.
Those savings have helped attract world-renowned companies to the region. Ubisoft Reflections, Coconut Lizard, tombola and Coatsink have development studios in North East England and are all expanding and recruiting new local talent to their teams.
We’re proud of our skilled workforce. Over 32,720 people work in North East England’s ICT sector. Our links with the region’s universities and colleges also mean we have a strong pipeline of burgeoning talent coming out of education and directly into industry.
There are 68,000 Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students in the region and we have the highest proportion of computer science students in England.
Our five universities offer degree pathways in Games Engineering and Computer Sciences. Northumbria University’s Information Technology & Systems is ranked 5th in the UK by the Complete University Guide for 2025 and Newcastle University is Top 170 for Computing Science and Information Systems (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).
Moreover, our education colleges offer a diverse range of courses that support the gaming industry, from design and programming to technical development. Gateshead College for example, offers opportunities from School Leavers to Adult Up Skilling Courses.
Our higher education colleges also work collaboratively with private sector companies to deliver bespoke courses to equip students with the skills they need for a career in games development.
