Dell Sees VR as The Future of Trades Training | Interplay
Dell partnered with Interplay to produce a video highlighting how Virtual Reality technology can effectively address the labor skills gap by upskilling new and current employees in trades training, demonstrating their shared belief that combining hardware and software can expand career opportunities.
Dell reached out to Interplay’s CEO, Doug Donovan, to help create a video to inform Dell’s customers that Virtual Reality has the potential to play a serious role in reducing the labor skills gap. The term "skills gap" is used to describe the fact that many aspiring workers are not prepared with the necessary skills for the jobs available. Virtual Reality has the potential to play a significant role in upskilling new employees or helping current employees cross train in other areas.
Dell and Interplay created a partnership last year, and this video continues to expand upon their belief that together hardware and software technology can support people starting new careers and expanding opportunities across a company and beyond.
Related
Interplay Learning Newsroom
Interplay Learning, a leading provider of immersive training for industrial and skilled trades, has recently been recognized by TIME and Forbes for its industry impact and financial strength, while partnering with companies like Konecranes to deliver VR crane simulation training that expands customer training capacity and reduces equipment downtime.
Facebook's VR Impact on Skilled Trades Training
Facebook's rebranding to Meta and its $10 billion investment in VR and the metaverse underscore the growing importance of virtual reality as a transformative tool for educational and vocational training, particularly addressing the critical labor shortages and declining enrollment in skilled trades programs amid an aging workforce.
3D & VR Sim-Based Training for Students
Interplay Learning provides online, on-demand 3D simulation and virtual reality training for skilled trades students, offering industry-aligned courses and certifications across various trades, enabling flexible, safe practice environments, curriculum integration, progress tracking, and proven success in preparing students for workforce readiness as endorsed by educators and employers.
The Quick and Dirty History of VR
The article traces the gradual adoption and evolving perception of new technologies, highlighting how virtual reality (VR), once seen as a costly and niche toy with unclear value, has significantly advanced over the past decade to become more mainstream and widely envisioned for practical uses.
Interplay & HTC Host Educational Virtual Reality Roadshow
Interplay Learning, in partnership with HTC Vive, conducted a multi-city educational VR roadshow across Austin, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, engaging HVAC industry professionals and educators in interactive virtual reality training simulations to showcase the transformative potential of VR in skilled trades training and plans to continue similar events throughout 2018.
Workforce Development Programs and Skilled Trades Careers
Workforce development programs are crucial in addressing the U.S. skilled labor shortage—particularly in trades like construction, plumbing, and HVAC—by providing flexible, technology-enhanced training opportunities that enable individuals to enter well-paying middle-class careers, with many new skilled trade workers earning at least $50,000 annually despite common misconceptions about low earning potential.