The University of Birmingham has adopted the delivery of a new training programme, lauded as “the first of its kind in the UK,” to provide insight into the world of gaming and gambling related harms amongst students.
The ‘Gambling and Gaming Awareness’ course, delivered by the Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust, has been welcomed as part of the Wellbeing Development Programme at the facility.
This intends to provide staff with an insight and understanding of both gambling and gaming, as well as exploring, via research and data, the associated risks that young adults are vulnerable to.
The training, which also teaches university staff to spot the signs of students who may be struggling, was delivered to the University of Birmingham as a first step in YGAM’s plans to roll out this programme and offer the training to universities across the UK.
Pete Woodward, head of YGAM’s University and Student Engagement Programme, delivered the new training to staff at the University of Birmingham over two separate sessions.
“I am so pleased that the University of Birmingham were able to help us kickstart this exciting new journey, where we will see this first-of-its-kind training offered to university staff across the country,” he commented.
“The team were engaged and genuinely interested throughout and I am confident that now they have the knowledge, understanding and resources to support their students, the university will become a shining example of an institution that takes both gaming and gambling related harms and the welfare of its students seriously.”
The training has been delivered to over 50 key members of staff responsible for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of the student population at the University of Birmingham.
James Mason, student wellbeing and partnerships officer at the University of Birmingham, said: “The session delivered by YGAM was highly interactive and engaging and allowed the delegates the opportunity to discuss the subjects in a safe and secure setting with lots of opportunities to ask questions and talk about real life examples, which all made for a really enjoyable and informative course. We have received lots of positive feedback from colleagues who attended the sessions.”
