Alumni Survey: DADIU Creates Jobs in a Rapidly Growing and Challenged Industry

The second ever DADIU alumni survey has just been released. The survey sheds light on positive trends in entrepreneurship and employment among former students. At the same time, the survey points to a games industry challenged by a lack of diversity and unattractive working conditions.

The National Academy of Digital Interactive Entertainment (DADIU) just released the results of a comprehensive alumni survey shedding light on positive trends in entrepreneurship and employment among former students. At the same time, the survey points to a games industry challenged by a lack of diversity and unattractive working conditions.

Since 2005, the network education DADIU has brought together over 1000 students from the country's universities and art schools in a joint semester focused on game development. This includes the National Film School of Denmark, one of the founding institutions an overseeing the organization on a daily basis.

For the second time, DADIU has carried out a thorough survey examining career trends and employment among 426 former students over the last 10 years. This period has seen significant growth in the domestic gaming industry, measured by both revenue and the number of companies.

The survey shows that DADIU contributes positively to employment in the creative industries. 84% of respondents are currently employed, with 8% having started their own companies. Particularly noteworthy is that 81% report starting their jobs within the first year after graduation, and almost three out of four (71%) of these jobs are characterized as permanent positions.

Despite positive employment figures, the survey also highlights key challenges in the game industry.

In the six years since the first graduates survey, the percentage of alumni finding work in industries other than gaming or related fields (such as film, education, app or software development) has increased significantly from 36% in 2017 to 45% in 2022. The same trend applies to recent graduates, where only a quarter now secure their first job in the gaming industry, compared to a third in 2017. According to the survey, the high percentage working in completely different industries is mainly due to challenges in entering the gaming industry, unattractive working conditions or rumors thereof, or a conscious choice to pursue other interests.

The survey also addresses another current problem. Only 20% of respondents identify as women, reflecting a general trend in the domestic gaming industry challenged by a lack of diversity, especially in terms of gender. However, there has been a slight improvement since 2017 when the percentage of women was 15%. Looking only at current DADIU students, the positive trend is even more evident, with women comprising 35% of this year's students, indicating an ongoing development.

Tine Fischer, director of the National Film School of Denmark, states:

"DADIU has in many ways always been ahead of its time by insisting on computer games as an art and entertainment form developed through interdisciplinary, creative collaborations. As a significant network education leaving clear marks both domestically and internationally, DADIU also has a responsibility to contribute to shaping the framework for the professional industry. Therefore, there is now work ahead of us in terms of influencing a development towards sustainable working conditions and greater diversity. I am extremely pleased to see that among this year's DADIU students, a significant positive change has already occurred, which we will continue and accelerate at the Film School in close collaboration with the other educational institutions that together make up DADIU. DADIU has in many ways always been ahead of its time by insisting on computer games as an art and entertainment form developed through interdisciplinary, creative collaborations.”

Survey Facts:

• The survey can be downloaded here
• The survey is the second in DADIU's history, with the first released in 2017.
• The survey was sent to 1175 respondents, who were students at DADIU from 2012-2022, of which 426 completed the survey.
• Respondents were educated at institutions including Aalborg University, Aarhus University, University of Southern Denmark, University of Copenhagen, DTU, ITU, Danish Film School, Royal Academy, The Animation Workshop, CADA, Danish Academy of Music, and Sonic College.
• Female respondents make up 20%, male respondents 78%, and respondents with another gender identity make up 2%.

Highlighted Results:

• 88% feel that DADIU met their expectations.
• 85% feel that DADIU improved their skills in games development.
• 84% are employed, with 8% having started their own company.
• 68% of respondents secured their first job within six months, 81% within a year.
• 25% got their first job in the gaming industry.
• 31% currently work in the gaming industry, 25% work in related industries, and 45% work in completely different industries.

About DADIU:

DADIU was founded in 2005 by the National Film School of Denmark and several other universities and art schools across the country. The collaboration now consists of 10 educational institutions.

Every fall, around 100 students come together for a semester of interdisciplinary classes and development. The students are divided into teams, some working in Aalborg and others in Copenhagen, always concluding the program with an extended game production.