Apprenticeship training course
Game programmer (level 7)
Program reliable and efficient software.
- Qualification level
-
7
Equivalent to master’s degree. - Typical duration
- 24 months
- Apprenticeship category
- Digital
- Maximum funding
-
£19,000
Maximum amount government will fund
for apprenticeship training. - Also known as
-
- Developer relations engineer
- Game programmer
- Game server programmer
- Gameplay engineer
- Gameplay programmer
- Mobile game developer
- Rendering / graphics engineer
- Software development engineer
- Skills
-
Skills an apprentice will learn
- Program interactive, real-time applications for gaming platforms using an industry-standard programming language, incorporating APIs, tools, engines or frameworks appropriate to employer requirements.
- Implement and adapt contemporary real-time algorithms in two and three-dimensional games.
- Use profiling tools and techniques to achieve, monitor and maintain an acceptable real-time framerate for an interactive game.
- Track memory usage and identify opportunities for reducing requirements.
- Write code informed by the characteristics of modern hardware platforms (e.g. shader programming, multi-threading).
- Use debugging tools and automated testing systems to develop robust code bases.
- Use continuous integration workflow within the deployment lifecycle as part of a multi-disciplinary software team.
- Write robust, well-tested, maintainable code which is easy to adapt to changing requirements.
- Use an industry-standard version control system.
- Use an industry-standard project management system from the perspective of a developer.
- Adapt or extend existing tool chains to support new features and/or optimise workflows.
- Apply industry-standard development methodologies within day-to-day working practice.
- Manage complex relationships with diverse stakeholders and communicate information effectively to different audiences.
- Provide technical leadership and direction with respect to the workflow of other team members.
- Research, document and articulate the opportunities and threats presented by new industry technologies.
- Follow studio coding best-practices and participate in keeping them relevant and up to date.
- Give and receive feedback in code reviews in an objective and professional manner.
- Write software which contributes to the player experience while balancing the extensibility and performance requirements for an evolving game design.
Full information on Game programmer (level 7) is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.