From classroom to career: how game design is shaping future STEM skills

The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge (STEM VGC) is a free, national competition for students in Years 3 to 12 that invites young people to design and build their own digital games. In doing so, students apply mathematics, science, technology and literacy skills in an authentic, highly motivating context, while developing capabilities that extend well beyond the classroom.

'We want students to see how their learning connects to the real world,' says Lisa van Beeck, Project Director of the Australian STEM VGC. 'Game design brings together problem‑solving, creativity and collaboration – and it gives students a reason to persist.'

Since its launch, STEM VGC has engaged more than 10,000 students across Australia, creating opportunities for teachers to integrate STEM learning with digital technologies, design thinking and cross‑curriculum priorities.

STEM VGC offers a flexible, classroom‑ready way to engage students with STEM concepts while building transferable skills such as teamwork, critical thinking and communication. Because game development draws on multiple disciplines, the challenge can involve whole classes, year levels or even entire school communities.

‘One of the real benefits of a competition like this is that it can create a buzz beyond the students doing the coding,’ says Ms van Beeck. ‘It becomes something the whole school - and often families - can be part of.’

Connecting students to real career pathways

The Challenge is supported by industry partners, including the Australian Computer Society (ACS), which brings a strong workforce and careers perspective into the program.  ACS has 40,000 members around Australia and has been supporting accreditation, training and networking for those in the tech world for 60 years.

Jonathan Nalder from ACS, who leads the Gateway to Industry Schools program, recently co‑presented a webinar with Ms van Beeck highlighting how skills developed through game design connect to a wide range of technology careers.  Key industry insights shared in the webinar include:

• 82 per cent of Australians engage in gaming across consoles, computers or mobile devices
• Globally, the gaming industry is twice the size of the film and TV industries combined
• In Australia, technology roles are among the highest paid and fastest growing
• Game development skills are transferable across sectors, including defence, healthcare and education
• Demand for technology professionals is expected to continue to grow, with a particular need to broaden participation, including for women

From classroom project to future career

The pathways emerging from game development are broad. Skills acquired through the STEM VGC can lead students into areas such as data science, content creation, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Industry practitioners Ben and Punya Huxter, founders of Mini Mega, are one example of how creative technical skills can evolve into sustainable careers. The siblings began by developing small games for advertising clients before achieving international success with Bonza Word Puzzle. They now work with global organisations including Apple and Netflix.

‘It really is a career that could be for anybody,’ they say.

A model with relevance for policy and research

At a system level, initiatives like the STEM VGC provide insight into how experiential, project‑based learning can support student engagement, digital capability development and awareness of future workforce opportunities.

By combining education, industry and creativity at scale STEM VGC offers a practical example of how schools can nurture STEM skills while keeping students motivated and connected to real‑world applications.

Educators, parents and students can learn more about the Challenge and access additional resources, including recorded webinars and career insights at: https://www.stemgames.org.au/