Foundation Apprentice makes a splash with new water safety game for Absafe
July 23, 2024
NESCol Foundation Apprentice Jeremy Varcl has created a new board game in collaboration with Aberdeen’s only health & safety education charity, Absafe. Entitled ‘Splash Safe’, the game is centred around water safety and designed to educate children and spark conversations with their families.
18-year-old Jeremy started the Creative & Digital Media Foundation Apprenticeship (FA) while he was in his fifth year at Turriff Academy. In October last year, he joined Absafe for his placement project, originally to assist as a graphic designer for the game’s initial design.
However, with a passion for both tabletop and video game design, Jeremy’s role evolved, and he used his expertise and skillset to revamp the entire concept. ‘Splash Safe’ is currently in the final stages of development and will be ready for manufacture this year.
Kairn McKee, Project Manager, Absafe, said: “On behalf of the Absafe Team, we are incredibly proud of Jeremy’s dedication and creativity in developing ‘Splash Safe’. His innovative approach and commitment to engaging young people in water safety education, as well as the board game community, has resulted in a game that is not only informative, but also highly interactive and enjoyable.”
The game features a mix of question styles including trivia and ‘what if?’ scenario questions. Although much of the information is preventative, the game also delves into what actions to take if an accident or emergency does occur, such as how to perform CPR.
As well as assisting with the illustrations and concept, Jeremy was heavily involved in the full testing and marketing process. He designed his first game at 16-years-old and was able to call upon groups in the gaming community and industry contacts to playtest ‘Splash Safe’. He also promoted the game to an established audience of gamers via his own social media platforms, as well as using Absafe’s own channels.
Jeremy Varcl said: “It’s like hiding vegetables in dinner – it’s an educational game in disguise. The first prototype involved individual players each taking their turn, but children tend to lose interest quickly and not pay attention.
“We changed the format so players must interact with each other and the game or they lose. It’s fun and engaging but everyone is also unconsciously learning as they play. Teaching children via a game is much more fun than watching a video on water safety, and it will hopefully be a catalyst for families to talk about serious topics with their children.”
Foundation Apprenticeships are typically carried out over one or two years and are accepted by most universities as the equivalent to at least one Higher for entry to degree programmes. The Creative & Digital Media FA combines classroom-based study at NESCol with workplace learning and covers a wide range of creative roles.
After the summer, Jeremy is set to continue his studies at Abertay University studying BA (Hons) Computer Arts.
He said: “I hope to be an artist or a designer for a video game company in the future. To get into this industry, you need to be able to demonstrate that you’ve spent significant time working on a game.
“The Foundation Apprenticeship has helped me grow my connections, expand on my professional skills such as accounting and communication, and add to my game design portfolio. It has solidified my goal to work for a company rather than freelance, as I enjoy working with a team and bouncing my ideas off others.”
Kairn McKee said: “Jeremy’s work exemplifies the power of hands-on learning and collaboration, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact ‘Splash Safe’ will have on our community. Huge thanks again to Jeremy for his great ideas and amazing graphic design talents, we wish him all the best going forward, he will be missed by the team.”
Foundation Apprenticeships at NESCol
Foundation Apprenticeships are available as a subject choice at school, and form part of a pupil’s school timetable.
These courses are typically delivered at NESCol by lecturers who are subject specialists in their industry. Pupils will also interact directly with local employers on a work placement or via an industry-led project.
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