The Commonwealth Youth Programme has joined forces with the Esports Development Foundation (EDF) to explore and deliver the opportunities that esports could provide to address the socio economic impact caused by COVID-19 on young people. This partnership will commence with a series of online content that will engage young people across the Commonwealth and will focus on consultation, awareness and capacity building on the technological possibilities and opportunities of esports as a vehicle to promote employment and entrepreneurship.

Leveraging the proposed Commonwealth Innovation Ecosystem, young entrepreneurs through networks like the Commonwealth Alliance for Young Entrepreneurs (CAYE), will explore the practical solutions to boost the digital infrastructure and skills of young people.  The collaboration will explore opportunities and strategies to boost youth employment thorough investment in digital technology with a focus on esports across the Commonwealth.

This initiative will lead to the development of the required infrastructure and skills for the development of esports in the Commonwealth countries and include a new annual international esports tournament.

EDF’s remit across all member states will be to enhance digital infrastructure, develop new creative and digital skills education programmes, facilitate inward investment, foster youth empowerment and stimulate growth in employment. Critically it will also carry a responsibility to support the post tournament legacy for each host nation.

Esports will reach approximately half a billion viewers this year across the globe and is set to grow significantly in the coming years. This increase is set against the backdrop of an everchanging skills landscape. Recent estimations show hundreds of millions of jobs will change over the next ten years.

The Commonwealth is actively looking at new areas to create new jobs, reskill the workforce enabling economic growth and esports has been identified as a major catalyst for this

The partnership has been sponsored within The Commonwealth Secretariat by Mr Layne Robinson, Head of Social Policy and Development, who leads work on social policy with a particular focus on youth, education, health and gender equality. EDF has worked with the Commonwealth department of Social Policy since 2019, using its extensive experience in esports, producing live events and running infrastructure, education and development projects globally to drive long-term value to the process.

Layne said: “We were tasked in 2019 by the General Secretariat with initiating new sustainable innovative ways to drive economic value to the member states and to resonate particularly to the youth, education, health and gender policies of my department. Esports and an annual esports tournament, was identified specifically as a key delivery vehicle. We are delighted to have partnered with EDF to achieve this.”

Chester King, trustee of EDF said: “We have the experience and knowledge to help the Commonwealth’s wider aims of education, employability and sustainability. Esports is an incredible success story and even during these challenging times it continues to flourish. We are delighted to have forged this partnership to help deliver sustainable esports education and infrastructure to so many countries helping them unlock their esports economy potential.”

EDF Mission: “To engage communities, businesses and States through esports, and to provide access to digital infrastructure for the purpose of educational development, economic stimulus, gender equality and social upliftment”

EDF Vision: “Building an inclusive world where digital transformation and infrastructure gives marginalised communities and youths the ability to develop, learn and prosper “