Tamworth kids have got their foot in the door of the global gaming industry, courtesy of one of the world's largest tech firms.
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Tech giant Amazon is helping to deliver early training for a career in video games development, with more than 500 students at 82 high schools.
Some 25 students in the New England region have had the change to take part in the Amazon Web Services Virtual Work Placement, specialising in game design, last week - four of them from Peel High School.
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Peel career's advisor Helen Herdegen said the students would finish up with a Certificate 3 as well as contributing to their Higher School Certificate.
"It's such a fantastic experience for our students, especially in the Tamworth and New England region, to have this sort of opportunity," she said.
"I think it gives them a really good platform for opportunity in their future."
Program manager Emma Hannan said kids from around the region would learn to do everything from build AI-powered chat bots, to image recognition models and even 3D design.
"I believe every student should be standing proud," she said.
"Last week we saw student-built natural language processing chat bots to ask for help in navigating airports, traveling on trains, orientation in a new school, and identifying insects and crop damage, just to name a few."
Ms Hannan said Amazon had brought in international experts from around the globe.
Meshach Fong and Kieren Taylor from Peel High School, both in year 11, are taking part in the digital training course.
Kieren said it was something he'd been wanting to do for a long time.
"I've been playing games all my life," he said.
Meshach said they're still learning the basics, like 3D modelling, but it's an exciting course.
He said game design is an emerging art form.
"I like the stories, I like the characters and not only that, I like how the online system works," he said.
"Throughout my life I've wanted to try to develop a game of my own."
Students from Merriwa Central School, Tamworth High School, Glen Innes High School, Oxley High School, O'Connor Catholic College, Armidale, St Mary's Catholic College, and Gunnedah participated in the one-week program.
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