Gaming as a career? Yup, and it's in high demand | Work It, SoVa

Danville Community College students work in the computer and game lab on campus. DCC is now offering a degree in Gaming and Mobile Application Specialization. (Patti Okeefe/Work It, SoVa)

By Patti Okeefe
Work It, SoVa

Danville Community College has added an entertaining degree program to its current curriculum.

The college?s Gaming and Mobile Application Specialization is designed for students who want to work developing video games, simulations or mobile applications.

?The students are really enjoying the new program,? said Tommy Cannon, dean of the Business and EIT Division, ?Whenever we can offer something new and exciting like this, it is exciting for the staff here at the college also.?

The Associate of Applied Science degree program in Information Systems Technology ? Gaming and Mobile Application Development Specialization is for students who seek
employment inventing and developing video games and mobile applications. Persons seeking initial employment in an information game design or who seek advancement in current design and development jobs will benefit from the program.

?We have some really excellent students in the program,? Cannon says, ?The new program teaches students to think and follow logic. It is an excellent process that they can take into many other fields as well.?

The new degree program puts the college on the cutting edge of one of the fastest growing employment occupations.

Employment in all computer careers is expected to increase 22 percent by 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics biennial update of employment projections. And the outlook for application developers is better still expecting that field to grow even faster at 28 percent.

The new program contains courses which provide an emphasis on designing, creating and maintaining programs related to gaming, simulation and mobile applications.

Courses provide instruction in game design and development using various languages and programming environments. The students will also experience writing programs for mobile applications using languages related to the newest cell phones on the market.

According to Sandi Satterfield, the associate professor of Information Systems Technology, there are several companies in Roanoke, Richmond and Raleigh looking for the kinds of skills taught in the program. ?Indications are that there will be job placement for the graduates,? said Satterfield who developed the program for the college.

The following occupational titles represent examples of possible employment opportunities:

? Computer Game Programmer

? Computer Mobile Application Designer

? Program Developer

? Systems Game Manager

? Technical Game Designer

? Mobile Application Developer

The Smithsonian Art Museum recognizes that over the last 40 years video games have become part of our culture. They currently have an exhibition entitled ?The Art of Video Games? highlighting the artistic work of video game designers. Last month the exhibit drew more than 23,000 people making it one of their most popular displays ever.

Video games and mobile apps are no longer just for fun. They can have many useful purposes such as education and simulating crime scenes. As computer based learning becomes more popular, more companies and schools will be in need of these applications.

For more information about this or other programs at Danville Community College, visit www.dcc.vccs.edu?or call 434.797.2222.

Patti OKeefe is a freelance writer and photographer from Danville. OKeefe owned a successful gourmet chocolate and nut shoppe in downtown Albany, N.Y. She sold the business in 2001 and the operation remains open and doing well. After moving to the Dan River Region, she ran an ice cream shop in Blairs for three years.

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