Sponsor an Apprentice

Partner with us to train the next generation of technical talent in the UK games industry.

Why partner with us?

The Sumo Digital Academy is the only UK government-recognised apprenticeship in the games industry, delivered from Sumo Digital’s Sheffield studio and rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. Sponsors access a structured, assessed pipeline of technical talent that has been built by practitioners for practitioners.

Our partner studios use the Academy to grow the people they want to hire long-term — apprentices who have shipped real work, understand production pipelines, and are ready to contribute from day one of their permanent role.

How it works

  • You cover the salary. The sponsoring studio pays the apprentice’s salary for the duration of the programme.
  • We deliver the training. The Academy designs and delivers the full curriculum, mentoring and pastoral support — no additional training cost to you.
  • Studio-based production from day one. Apprentices split their time between intensive Academy training and real production work inside your studio, on real projects, alongside experienced developers.

What you get

  • A structured, assessed pipeline of junior technical talent trained to industry standards.
  • Apprentices who already understand your studio, your pipelines, and your tooling by the time they graduate.
  • Curriculum visibility and regular progress reporting against agreed outcomes.
  • Access to the Academy’s partner network, shared tooling, and industry events.
  • Published case studies and shipped games evidencing what apprentices have delivered.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions from prospective sponsors and investors. If yours isn’t here, contact us and we will follow up directly.

What is the cost model for sponsoring an apprentice?

Sponsoring studios cover the apprentice’s salary for the duration of the programme. The Sumo Digital Academy delivers all training, mentoring, curriculum and pastoral support at no additional cost to the sponsor. Specific figures are shared during an initial conversation, as they scale with the number of apprentices and the sponsor’s location.

How long does the apprenticeship run?

The programme runs on a structured multi-year schedule combining intensive full-time training at the Academy with studio-based production work. Exact duration and intake dates are confirmed with the sponsor ahead of each cohort.

When does the next intake start, and how do I reserve a place?

Intakes run annually, with shortlisting typically beginning in the spring ahead of an autumn start. Studios and sponsors interested in reserving places should contact us as early as possible so we can align your hiring plans with our cohort sizing.

Do sponsors get visibility of the curriculum and progress reports?

Yes. Sponsors receive the curriculum overview up front and regular progress updates against it through the programme. Curriculum is designed and delivered by industry professionals with decades of combined game development experience, and the Academy holds an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rating.

What are the hiring outcomes for sponsored apprentices?

The majority of apprentices progress into permanent roles with their sponsoring studio at the end of the programme. The Academy works with sponsors to align training to the roles they intend to grow into, so apprentices graduate ready to contribute from day one.

Talk to us about sponsoring a place

Reach out to discuss cohort sizing, timelines and how the programme fits your hiring plan. Contact us.