Interplay Learning Wins $100k in XR Education Prize Challenge
Interplay Learning won second place and a $100,000 prize in the XR Education Prize Challenge, hosted by NYU and Techstars with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for their VR-based Skilled Trades Training Catalog that addresses the U.S. skilled labor shortage by providing accessible, affordable, and effective virtual reality training for mechanical, electrical, and industrial trades.
Interplay Learning is excited to announce that their technical leadership was recognized in a competition hosted by the NYU School of Entrepreneurship and Techstars, in partnership with Two Bit Circus, University Ventures, and Women in XR. This innovation challenge was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and focused on accelerating education innovation using virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies.
Interplay’s Skilled Trades Training Catalog, developed using their proprietary engine, was showcased to the XR community, demonstrating how Virtual Reality (VR) can improve educational accessibility, affordability, and outcomes for a new generation of learners. Interplay Learning achieved second place in the competition, earning a $100,000 cash prize.
Due to an aging workforce and a growing skills gap, there is a significant labor supply issue in mechanical, electrical, and industrial industries across the United States. Interplay Learning’s VR-focused training solution offers an opportunity to deliver on-demand, hands-on training to thousands, if not millions, of learners. The company is dedicated to helping individuals acquire the necessary skills to secure skilled trades jobs and begin higher-paying careers.
A customer experience video featuring Johnny Gonzalez of Labor Finders was used in the contest to highlight how Interplay Learning’s VR training is changing the way people learn new skills. The company’s COO, Stephen Quirk, participated in the XR Education Summit live pitch event, hosted by Two Bit Circus in Los Angeles.
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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.
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