Skilled graduate lands job with luxury vehicle manufacturer

A games graduate from Telford has praised Staffordshire University’s industry links for helping him to secure a job before finishing his degree.

Ellis Rogers-Byrne, 24, studied BA (Hons) Augmented and Virtual Realities which helped him to pick up skills including laser scanning, photogrammetry and an understanding of Unreal Engine.

Following an event orchestrated by the University, Ellis has secured a job at Jaguar Land Rover and will be using his technical skills to help digitise its factories.

“It’s very exciting. They were looking for people with certain skill sets and that’s what started the conversation and got the ball rolling.

“Before I’ve even finished, I know that I’m going to be okay…all the hard work I’ve put in has already paid off with future employment lined up.”

After graduating with a first-class degree Ellis is looking forward to starting his new role in September. And he has praised University staff for their dedication and support.

“The huge standout has got to be just the quality of lecturing. There are the technicians as well; they’re extremely helpful, really creative at problem solving and have been able to help me with any issues that I’ve ever had.

“What I really like about Staffs is that the lecturers will always work harder than you do. If you put in the effort, they’ll put in even more. And with those types of relationships, that’s when you create the best work.”

Ellis is also keen to stress the many opportunities that come with a games degree.

“Games isn’t just about being able to make games. There’s lots of industries that you can go into with it. For example, you could do film and media. You could join the manufacturing side like I am. Unreal Engine specifically is a very powerful tool that’s used by a lot of industries now. So having that on your CV is going to open a lot of doors.”

Pic: Ellis Rogers-Byrne secured a job before finishing his studies