College celebrates Esports success and £230k arena with largest student cohort in Wales

COLEG CAMBRIA is celebrating Esports success with the largest student cohort in Wales.

More than 50 learners are now enrolled across Levels 2 to 4, with numbers growing steadily since the subject was first introduced at the college in 2021.

Cambria has already seen its first students progress onto higher education and industry roles within a sector that has become a global, multi-billion-dollar phenomenon.

Learners can now study at university-equivalent Level 4 and 5 through Coleg Cambria’s partnership with Pearson, based at its Deeside campus.

In 2024, Cambria unveiled a brand-new £230,000 Esports arena, one of only a handful of specialist facilities in UK further education. Equipped with 36 high-spec YOYOTECH gaming stations powered by Intel I7 processors and RTX4070 graphics cards, along with MSI peripherals and AOC pro monitors, the cutting-edge arena has been hailed as a gamechanger for students.

Assistant Principal for Technical Studies, Lisa Radcliffe, said: “This incredible investment has cemented Cambria’s position as a pioneer of Esports education in the UK.

“The facilities are professional, flexible and designed for competition, teaching, and events. We’re proud to give our learners access to state-of-the-art technology that prepares them for careers at the top of their game.”

Cambria Chimeras, the college’s own competitive team, have already made their mark on the national stage. The squad won the Apex Legends Spring Cup in the Students Champs League and more recently finished runners-up in the Valorant competition, both organised by the British Esports Federation.

Esports lecturer Lauren Crofts praised the dedication of the squad, which included Richie Smith, David Tas, Tom Low, Adam Parkes, and Niall Thomas, with support from sub and team manager, Kyle Tarran.

“We are so proud of how hard the students worked – the finals were incredibly tight and demanded months of practice and teamwork,” she said.

“For Kyle in particular, to not only compete but also manage the team before progressing to our Level 4 course has been an outstanding achievement.”

The college is also looking beyond its own walls to nurture the next generation of talent. Plans are underway to invite schools across north east Wales to take part in tournaments at the Deeside facility, giving higher-level students valuable event management experience.

Esports lecturer Tom Crofts said: “There is so much interest from young people, and this gives them a chance to see Esports as a genuine pathway to careers – not just in gaming, but in areas like digital marketing, broadcasting, coaching, content creation, and event management. The opportunities are huge.”

The programme is further enriched by guest speakers, partnerships with industry leaders such as Chillblast, and a wide range of modules including event planning, digital marketing, streaming, enterprise, and wellbeing for players.

Looking ahead, the college has ambitions for its learners to one day compete on the world stage, with Esports now set to feature in the Olympics.

“It may still be early days for us, but we’ve made huge strides,” added Lauren.

“With the continued support of organisations like Esports Wales and the dedication of our students, the future is very bright.”