數位內容近年來廣受重視，被認為是下一世紀最具發展潛力的產業。台灣的數位內容產業在國際上已逐漸嶄露頭角，而其中遊戲領域的前景預測最為樂觀，線上遊戲的成長與次世代遊戲主機的普及，持續帶動遊戲產業蓬勃的發展。然而從長期角度分析，人才是創意產業發展的基石，有源源不斷的優秀新血加入，遊戲產業方能獲得可長可久的成長動能。

根據2007年數位內容人才供需調查，台灣數位遊戲廠商對人才需求數量最多之職務依序為「遊戲程式設計師」、「3D美術設計師」及「行銷人才」。其中，「遊戲程式設計師」由往年調查前三名提升至第一名，學歷要求較高，且集中在資訊類相關科系，尤其以國立大學畢業生較受歡迎，除了必須擁有足夠的專業知識外，工作態度與學習能力也是被要求的重點；但此類人才在其他高科技產業的競爭下，目前台灣遊戲產業在徵才上相對辛苦。「3D美術設計師」其學歷需求不限，唯專業能力是問，當然熱誠與團隊合作精神也是主管選聘的考量因素之一。就「行銷人才」而言，廠商要求之科系背景不限，但希望他們擁有相關的工作經驗，最好要了解遊戲或喜歡遊戲。調查亦指出美術指導、研發/技術指導及製作人亦為台灣遊戲廠商所認為的重要人才，多屬中高階層級，因此不易以外部培育的方式提供，公司多以內部在職培訓或同業攬才的方式補充人力，其中研發/技術指導的需求最為急迫，具備遊戲產業相關經驗五年（含）以上的人才往往是人力市場的搶手對象。

在調查數位遊戲人才時可以知道，供給來源以「國內同業攬才」最多，占了34%，而「應屆畢業生」僅占12%，原因在於台灣與遊戲相關的學校僅有12系所，一年培育出的畢業生五百多名，而實際直接投入數位遊戲產業每年不到一百名，在每年八百多名人才需求（2008年預測數字）的壓力下，人才的流動幾乎是從某一家遊戲公司跳槽到另一家遊戲公司，對於產業整體競爭力的提升無法產生正面的助益。當然，在日、韓及新崛起的大陸積極搶攻國際遊戲市場的競爭態勢下，我國除了在「量」方面應儘速補足人才供需缺口外，也必須在「質」方面提昇人才素質，走出國際化的經營格局，才能在這項無國界且潛力無窮的市場中贏得更多的機會。我國已有多家業者與國際知名廠商、甚至好萊塢製片公司合作，開啟國際化新里程，對產業人才水準提升有相當助益。
資策會數位教育研究所在執行工業局委託的「數位內容學院計畫」中已成功地培育了五千多位技術與藝術跨領域的人才進入數位內容產業，為產業挹注了一股生力軍。同時在定位於中高階產業人才培育的策略下，亦提供了一萬三千多人次的在職培育，提升了整體產業的專業技術與經營視野。未來將積極地扮演著 「產業人才培育」、「創意加值服務」與「人才培育國際」的平台，以更多元化及創新的模式，培育兼具質量，且能與國際接軌的人才，以支援我國數位內容產業的發展。

( 本文作者為數位教育研究所副所長黃宛華，e-mail：flora@iii.org.tw)

Creativity will be a key source of economic competitiveness in the 21st century. In his book The Rise of the Creative Class, Richard Florida defines the prerequisites for creativity-based economic development as the "3Ts": Talent, Technology and Tolerance. These "3Ts" are in turn underpinned by human talent.

The digital content industry has been attracting a great deal of attention in the last few years; it is generally felt that digital content will be one of the most important industries of the 21st century. The Taiwanese digital content industry is already beginning to make its presence felt on the international stage. The outlook for the computer gaming industry is particularly bright, with the growth of online gaming and the rising penetration rates for next-generation game consoles helping to drive the gaming industry's development. Human talent is the foundation on which the development of the creative industries rests; to maintain steady growth over the long term, the computer gaming industry will need an abundant and reliable supply of talent.

A 2007 survey of digital content talent in Taiwan shows that the jobs where Taiwan's computer game companies report the largest number of vacancies are, in order of demand: game programmers, 3D artists, and marketing personnel. In previous years' surveys, "game programmers" had usually been on the top three, however in 2007 demand moved up into first place. The position of game programmer usually requires a relatively high level of education, and qualified individuals would normally be expected to have majored in an information technology related field. Additionally, game companies generally prefer to recruit those who have graduated from a national, rather than a private, university. Besides demonstrating the necessary professional know-how, game programmers must also be hard-working and willing to learn. Unfortunately, other hi-tech industries are also eager to recruit people with this kind of background and qualifications; so the gaming industry has experienced great difficulty in finding enough programming talent to meet its needs. When it comes to recruiting 3D artists, game development companies are more interested in their know-how and skills than in formal qualifications. Of course, managers also expect artists to demonstrate enthusiasm and the ability to work well as a member of a team. Game developers are not too choosy about what subject their marketing personnel major in at university, but they do prefer them to have relevant work experience, and ideally they should be both passionate and knowledgeable about gaming. The survey also showed significant demand for art directors, R&D/technical directors and producers. These are mostly middle-ranking to senior positions. The personnel filling these positions will normally either have been on job training, or have been poached from other gaming companies. There is an especially serious shortage of R&D/technical directors and individuals with five or more years of work experience are in very high demand in Taiwan.

The survey showed that enticing talent away from other Taiwanese companies is the main means of acquiring of personnel for Taiwanese computer gaming firms, accounting for 34% of all new employees; recent graduates account for only 12%. Only 12 universities and colleges in Taiwan offer courses related to gaming; these schools turn out just over 500 graduates a year, of which less than 100 go straight into the computer gaming business. Given the need to fill 800 vacancies a year, headhunting talent from other computer gaming firms is common practice; this situation does little to improve the competitiveness of the industry as a whole.

With Japanese, Korean, and now Chinese firms also seeking to grow their share of the international gaming market, Taiwanese game developers firms need more than just talent; they need high-quality talent that can help them to secure and develop new business opportunities in today's "borderless" gaming market.

The process of internationalization is already underway, with several Taiwanese gaming firms collaborating with Hollywood-based production companies and other leading international corporations, which strengthen the capabilities of the industrial personnel.

Taiwan's efforts to cultivate computer gaming talent are already beginning to show results. The graduates of Taiwanese universities' newly established game design programs, and the products of the Institute for Information Industry's training programs, are already starting to make their mark in the computer gaming industry, helping to strengthen the capabilities and potential of the industry as a whole. Initially, Taiwan focused on quality more than quantity. The gaming manpower cultivation programs established by the Institute for Information Industry's Digital Education Institute aim to cultivate individuals with world-class skills and creativity; the Digital Education Institute anticipates that, after completing the courses, the trainees will able to produce work that reflects an in-depth knowledge of the latest international trends.

In the cultivation of high-level talent, the Institute's programs make use of first-rate international trainers and collaborative projects with other organizations and companies. The Institute also organizes international conferences, and sends trainees abroad for training and internships. The overall goal is to strengthen trainees' awareness and understanding of global trends, which in turn will help their future employers to develop a similar awareness.

The "Digital Content Institute Project", initiated by Industrial Development Bureau and entrusted to Institute for Information Industry's Digital Education Institute, has been successfully arming the digital content industry with an over 5000 person strong, well equipped workforce that is battle-ready in both technical and artistic aspects.

Furthermore, the project has provided on-job training to over 13,000 digital content professionals, thus elevating the professional skills and business know-how of Taiwan's digital content industry as a whole.
Over the coming years the digital content institute project will fervently endeavor to provide a platform for professional training, creative added-value services, and internationalized training in order to add variety and creativity, increase the quality of the workforce to international standards, which will in turn assist greatly in supporting our digital content industry.

(Flora Huang is Deputy General Director of the Digital Education Institute, E-mail: