CAPITALISING on what you're good at makes sense in any walk of life and three new EU-funded training programmes - LUDO, CEOLTOIR and METAMORPH - which were recently launched by Senior College Ballyfermot (SCB) aim to do just that.
The programmes, which are based in the college's new campus in the old Burton's building on Dame Street, just across from Dublin's Temple Bar, have all grown out of existing courses offered by the City of Dublin VEC college. The new programmes are designed to enable young people with abilities in computer games, traditional music or art to make the most of their expertise and to develop careers in these areas.
LUDO is a one-year pilot training programme which provides specialised tuition at professional level in computer game design and production.
The course is primarily aimed at unemployed computer game enthusiasts and participants require no formal qualifications. In order to attract the target group the college advertised the programme in places where computer junkies congregate" - in amusement arcades, computer games shops, in bookshops and also on the INTERNET says Peter Lynch, who is the project's manager.
Not surprisingly perhaps - although to the college's disappointment - all the applicants were male.
"The majority of the people on the course are self-taught on their own computers," says Lynch. "We are trying to formalise their skills and give them new skills to enable them to create computer games.
According to Lynch, demand for the graduates of Ballyfermot's school of animation from overseas employers is huge. "Our school is recognised as one of the top three schools of animation in the world and our graduates are constantly being head-hunted by international computer games companies."
Although the industry is booming world-wide, he says, there is no computer games industry in this country. "Yet in Ireland we have the ideal background for a games development industry because of the pool of animation graduates and good programming talent that is available here."
Creating computer games is both complicated and expensive. "It's like producing a small film," says Lynch. "You have a director and a producer and graphics and sound experts. It takes a full year using up to 25 professionals to develop a new game.
Over the coming year, the 25 LUDO programme participants will learn how to design and programme games, how to add graphics and sound and how to test games. They will also take courses in communications, presentation and mini-business skills and a course in basic French. Much of the work will be project-based and the class will produce its own computer game.
"In the computer games industry, experience is more important than qualifications - so we have built experience into the course," Lynch says.
Meanwhile, in response to a world-wide shortage of animators, the college has developed the double-stranded METAMORPH programme under which a group of animators is being trained to become trainers. Following on from this, a group of artists will be retrained to become animators.
"Good animators can name their own price," Lynch says. "Our college has a close relationship with the Walt Disney corporation - we are one of only two colleges in Europe that Disney work with."
CEOLTOIR is a one-year pilot programme geared to turning traditional musicians into professional performers. "The project is based on our course in progressive, traditional and folk music performance which we have been running in Ballyfermot for a number of years," explains project manager Brian O hUiginn.
"We receive a lot of unsolicited approaches from agencies looking for traditional bands to play in Irish pubs and other venues throughout Europe, so we decided to see whether we could formulate a network of venues and supply them with musicians.
Some 2 young musicians of "reasonable ability" have been admitted to the new programme. Over a 40-week period these students will receive instrument tuition - there will be classes in up to 10 different instruments - vocal tuition and training in locating and arranging original source material and traditional music from around the world.
Students will also study the music industry in Ireland, gig production, recording techniques, computer sequencing and the German language.
The group will participate in a number of showcase gigs and will also perform in Europe, O hUiginn says.
Much of the studio work will be undertaken in the new Temple Bar Music Centre.
CEOLTOIR meanwhile, is committed to producing, launching and marketing a CD based on the work of the participating young musicians.
Employment opportunities for traditional musicians are good, according to O hUiginn, "but you have to be prepared to travel if you want to earn a living", he says. Germany, Scandinavia, Spain and Northern Italy are the best spots at the moment for Irish music but interest is also being shown as far away as Japan, he says.
