Submissions for Malta's national design & code competition, nextcreatives are in full swing as the competition originators ICE Malta confirmed. "This is Malta's first national design & code competition and we're pleased to see that it is attracting some really promising talent. We encourage ICE Malta students as well as students who completed study programmes at other schools or individuals who have never studied code or design to participate, as apart from winning an all expense MySuccess scholarship programme worth €2000 which could really kick-start their dream career. Malta's 32 winners will also meet some of the world's most influential designers and developers. The opportunities are endless," said Nikolai Sammut, ICE Malta Director. 

nextcreatives, launched by ICE Malta in collaboration with Malta Enterprise and with the support of leading local and international companies including Exient, CodeMasters, Bigpoint, 6pm, KPMG among other prestigious brands, has been designed to ensure that local talent is given the practical hands-on skills and worldwide recognised certifications to be considered for career opportunities in both code and creative fields. 

"On a global scale, many game development companies are not aware of Malta as a potential location to set up shop. Keep in mind that the games industry is anticipated to be worth over $100 billion by 2017," said Russell Mifsud, Manager, Industry Specialist-Gaming at KPMG.

"To ensure the skill set is readily available, focused efforts need to be coordinated in education programmes within this field by implementing a thorough, full game development curriculum, while also nurturing a games eco-system on the island. In closing in on the skill gap in the digital gaming sphere, particularly on the creative side, initiatives such as 'nextcreatives' assist in addressing the requirements head on, by providing direction and opportunities, while also indicating that this sphere is indeed a career option worth considering seriously."