Emily Shiel 
The Working Lunch is back in full effect and is officially opening applications for 2019!
The program aims to help underrepresented Australians and New Zealanders break into the games industry by connecting them with mentors that are experienced in their chosen field. Mentees are able to learn valuable skill sets through seminars, workshops and one on one mentoring.
The project was first founded in 2018 by CEO Ally Mclean, a game developer and technology advocate. It yielded a lot of success for both attendees and mentors, winning various awards across Australia and seeing over 30 per cent of mentees gain industry employment. The program has even been able to expand, adding Adelaide and Wellington to its list of destinations. Cohorts from Brisbane and Melbourne are also pending.
“We’re over the moon to bring The Working Lunch to more communities throughout Australia and New Zealand this year. With this big step, we inch closer to moving the needle on representation in the games industry,” says Mclean.
Representation is an issue that is so important in the industry and has been a lot more of a focus in recent years. Programs like this are a really positive way to bring some undervalued demographics into focus and give them the skills needed to succeed in their field while connecting with some great people in a safe and welcoming space.
Applications are open to people in all sectors of the industry and is not limited to just game development. Applicants experience should be entry level and looking for or working in their first role and mentors can be any experienced non-binary people and women working in the gaming industry. This is an exciting opportunity for more experienced creatives to really support and share their knowledge with a new group of talent.
Applications for The Working Lunch will close on February 19th and will not open for another 12 months so get in quick! For further information on the program visit the official website or give them a follow on Twitter for more updates.
