Interplay Learning Finds Seven in 10 Skilled Trades Companies Ramp Up Technicians Faster with Simulation-Based Training

The company’s new 2025 State of Skilled Trades Training report highlights how digital learning can reduce employee onboarding time by more than four months.

AUSTIN, Texas — Dec. 10, 2025 — Interplay Learning, the leading provider of immersive training for the skilled trades and industrial crafts, announces the findings of its 2025 State of Skilled Trades Training Report, revealing how simulation-based learning is helping organizations overcome persistent industry challenges, including a growing shortage of skilled labor.

Based on original research conducted by Interplay Learning, the report highlights how modern training approaches are accelerating technician readiness, boosting retention, and making learning more accessible for today’s workforce.

According to the findings, nearly 7 in 10 companies say they are ramping up their technicians faster with immersive learning, saving an average of 4.3 months compared to traditional training methods. Employers also reported direct business impact, with 67% saying their ability to train technicians faster improved because of their engagement with Interplay Learning.

“Digital and simulation-based training can close the gap between the urgent need for skilled workers and the time it traditionally takes to develop them,” said Doug Donovan, founder and CEO, Interplay Learning. “This year’s report shows that when companies modernize their training, they’re not just improving workforce readiness, but they are accelerating their own profitability, getting workers up-to-speed and ready to add value far more expediently.”

The report also illuminates one of the most common challenges facing learners: a lack of time to train on the job. Immersive training delivered across devices makes learning more flexible, and Interplay’s data shows an 83% year-over-year increase in meaningful training time during the first quarter of 2025.

Retention gains are also significant. More than 52% of workers who used digital learning said they are more likely to stay at their current job, underscoring the critical role training plays in employee satisfaction.

“Our findings highlight how Gen Z and millennial workers thrive in digital environments, adapting quickly to immersive tools that accelerate skill acquisition and field readiness,” said Donovan. “To attract and retain this new generation of talent, organizations need to rethink how training is designed and delivered, aligning learning experiences with how younger employees naturally engage and grow.”

About Interplay Learning

Interplay Learning, the leader in immersive learning for the skilled trades and industrial crafts, now includes Industrial Training International (ITI), the global leader in specialized industrial learning solutions. Leveraging instructor-led training, online simulations, AI, and VR, Interplay helps organizations and educational institutions upskill faster, reduce risk, and increase operational readiness. With nearly 600,000 people trained, Interplay is shaping the future of workforce development, building better careers and better lives.

Recent accolades include the 2025 IACET Instructional Impact Award, the 2025 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list, the 2025 Inc 5000 list, Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024, AHR’s 2024 Innovation Award, IACET 2024 Innovation of the Year Award, NFMT 2024 Vision Awards and Forbes’ 2023 America’s Best Startup Employers.