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.
A skilled workforce is essential for a healthy economy, and workforce development—the upskilling of individuals for long-term success—benefits individuals, communities, and businesses. The U.S. is facing a severe labor shortage, especially in the skilled trades, making it even more important to help train people for in-demand careers.
Some communities are using workforce development programs as an entryway to the middle class via the skilled trades. Despite popular misconceptions that skilled trades jobs have low earning potential, many of these high-demand roles provide a competitive earning structure for new workers. Half of the current skilled trade workers with less than ten years of experience earn at least $50,000 to start.
“The skilled labor shortage is one of the biggest challenges facing the U.S. economy, with 650,000 open jobs in the construction industry alone,” said Jim Loree, CEO of Stanley Black and Decker. “This problem existed long before the pandemic but has certainly been exacerbated by it. We must address this issue, or we risk even greater labor shortages in the future.”
Skilled trades, which are needed in industries ranging from plumbing and electrical services to heating, ventilation and air conditioning, are in high demand. Training is one of the most critical tools to enable people to enter the trades.
Offering a variety of training opportunities can help people find the workforce development program that works best for them. Deloitte has found that organizations need to enable individuals to choose their own development adventures, and choice is essential.
Today people want to be developed any way they want, whenever they want, which means learning opportunities can’t be limited to the traditional classroom. Interplay Learning has developed new ways for workforce development organizations to offer hands-on learning opportunities via a desktop, laptop, tablet, or virtual reality headset to give learners real-world experiences in an accessible format.
Digital learning platforms, including virtual classrooms, video courses and immersive 3D simulations, can provide added flexibility that allow learners to fit training into their schedule at times that work best for them. The digital transformation was happening long before Covid-19, and the pandemic only accelerated it.
When helping people reskill and upskill, it isn’t enough just to offer classes. It is important to optimize how they learn. Approaches based on proven learning techniques and new technology can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of skills training. This is where online simulation training–putting people in immersive scenarios that replicate true-life job conditions–can offer additional benefits like enabling them to practice and learn hands-on in a safe, risk-free environment.
Success in a skilled trades career requires hands-on learning, and Interplay Learning has created a life-like simulation training where learners can have a realistic experience that will be parallel to what they’ll experience in real life.
“Using Interplay allows more community members to see the possibilities that exist within skilled trades careers, helping participants simulate hands-on experiences,” said Marvin Kelley, director of construction and trade training at Goodwill Industries of Southern Piedmont. “Interactive training offerings like Interplay’s, coupled with the personal support and career coaching Goodwill offers, are helping more people in our community launch new careers and change their circumstances to achieve their goals.”
Help Meet Future Demand for the Skilled Trades
The skilled labor shortage is a growing concern across the globe. While the number of available jobs in skilled trades continues to rise, there simply are not enough qualified candidates to fill them. Fortunately, innovative technology like Interplay’s 3D and virtual reality training simulations can help equip individuals with the knowledge and cognitive skills needed to enter the skilled trades workforce.
By partnering with Interplay, you can help bridge the skills gap and produce job-ready candidates in a shorter amount of time. Interplay’s on-demand training platform includes 300+ hours of expert-led courses and offers industry-recognized certifications to give job seekers a competitive edge. Help shape the future of the workforce by ensuring that skilled labor needs are met, and job seekers have the tools they need to succeed.
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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.
SkillMill Immersive Training Platform
The SkillMill Immersive Training Platform, now rebranded as the Interplay Career Development Platform, offers over 500 hours of expert-driven, scalable, and science-based immersive training courses and simulations for skilled trades such as HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and appliances, enabling businesses, educators, and workforce programs to efficiently upskill their teams with advanced hands-on learning technology previously reserved for elite professions, all managed through a user-friendly platform designed to accelerate workforce development and improve real-world problem-solving skills.
Skilled Trades Workforce Development Training
Interplay Learning’s skilled trades workforce development training partners with community organizations to provide accessible, on-demand virtual reality and 3D simulation training that accelerates job readiness, improves licensing exam success, and creates equitable career opportunities in high-demand trades.
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-recognized certifications, flexible practice environments, curriculum-aligned content across various trades, and proven success in preparing students for workforce readiness through partnerships with employers and educational institutions.
3D & VR Simulation-Based HVAC Training
Interplay Learning offers 3D and VR simulation-based online HVAC training programs that accelerate skill development, enabling technicians to gain hands-on experience and become job-ready in weeks rather than years, as demonstrated by case studies and testimonials highlighting faster productivity, increased confidence, and reduced callback rates for HVAC companies.