As Casino fever spreads across the UK the potential for employment in the industry is at an all time high.
At one British University budding croupiers and dealers are now learning the tricks of the trade and the Academy manager Colleen McLaughlin (no relation to Wayne Rooney’s fiancé) says more and more young people want to get involved in the industry.
Colleen McLaughlin, Manager Blackpool and Fylde College, Gaming Academy.
As well as the advanced diploma course they also offer a city and guild coin slot technician programme.
McLaughlin, who has the title of ‘Regional gaming Academy manager’ says the idea to start the courses came when Blackpool made a bid to get a Super Casino in the popular beach town.
“ We began to realise that as the industry was about to grow dramatically there was a great opportunity for young people to make a career for themselves in casino related professions. A delegation from the University travelled over to Atlantic City to see how they did things there. It was noted that the croupiers in the casinos were not from the areas in which the casinos were. We then thought if Blackpool was to be successful with the bid local people should be the ones working there. Bringing in skilled workers from other areas would have defeated the purpose of the bid.”
Eventually and controversially Blackpool was unsuccessful in its aim to bring the Super Casino to the coast of the Irish Sea.
Leader of Blackpool Council, Cllr Roy Fisher, pictured at the UK's first Regional Gaming Academy at Blackpool and the Fylde College.
However the University is still attracting hoards of applicants for their courses.
Mclaughlin said “ The students we get are from a diverse range of backgrounds. You have to be over 18 to get onto these courses but some younger students who apply are put on related courses until they are old enough to transfer. We’ve had some amazing success stories. One young man has gone from being unemployed to working on cruise ships in the Caribbean. We have a good relationship with some cruise companies and they often take our graduates.”
Croupiers in the UK can earn up to £17,000 per annum at regional casinos but much more at the high brow venues.
Students from Ireland, Italy, South Africa and other nations have enrolled for the casino courses over the past two years and the University predicts they will be turning out over 60 qualified croupiers each year in the short term as well as up to 45 coin slot technicians.
The course is divided up into different modules focussing on issues such as online casinos and the importance of responsible gaming.
Looking to the future Colleen believes more and more young people will be attracted to the glitz and glamour of the casino industry and plans for further courses and a National gaming academy are at an advanced stage, she told onlinecasinonews.co.uk “ The calibre of British casino staff is set to improve dramatically as a result of courses like these. When I worked as a croupier we knew exactly what we were doing but this added expertise will bring employees onto a different level.”
With employment in the gaming industry virtually guaranteed as a result of graduation from these courses Blackpool is set to welcome many more young people to the seaside town as Britain aims to keeps up with the Casino revolution.
