Introduction to Virtual Reality Training within the Skilled Trades
In today’s competitive expert trades landscape, having the obligatory resources to coach recent HVACR technicians each quickly and effectively could make or break an organization’s bottom line. This has led to firms investing in recent methods to get their technicians field-ready. One firm, Cardinal Plumbing Heating & Air, transformed its technician development strategy by investing in virtual reality (VR) training through Interplay Learning.
The Challenge and Goals
Before adopting VR training, Cardinal faced mounting challenges with technician training, including a time drain, costly mistakes, and a insecurity amongst recent technicians. They set out to cut back training costs, eliminate wasted materials, send well-trained technicians into the sector, reduce recall rates, and offer personalized training.
How Virtual Reality Training Works
Interplay Learning is a simulation-based VR training platform tailored to the expert trades. The immersive system allows each apprentices and seasoned technicians to securely practice real-world scenarios, from HVAC installations to troubleshooting plumbing systems, before entering into the sector. This platform enables any size company to emulate real-world situations and supply unlimited, hands-on practice for his or her technicians.
The Savings
Since adopting Interplay Learning, Cardinal has experienced significant savings in material costs, training costs, and recall rates. They were in a position to cut their in-person training time in half, reducing overall training costs while freeing up more time for technicians to go on calls. The platform’s casting feature allows multiple trainees to look at tasks in real-time before trying them themselves, and with multiple VR headsets, different skills may be taught concurrently.
Training and Retention for Long-Term Success
For an organization of 45 employees, offering a training program that rivals even the biggest firms is a robust tool to remain competitive. Cardinal’s use of VR technology shows how even modest-sized service firms can innovate to draw, train, and retain top talent. The opportunity to construct skills through VR training gave technicians the boldness and motivation to remain and improve.
Benefits and Advice
Cardinal has retained not less than 10 technicians who would have otherwise left because of challenges in the sector. The company’s service manager, Patrick Garner, advises other contractors to start out small but go big, demonstrating the technology and letting team players have a hands-on experience. By embracing simulation-based learning, Cardinal has built a sustainable system for long-term workforce development.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Cardinal Plumbing Heating & Air’s experience with virtual reality training serves as a blueprint for other HVACR firms to enhance their training methods. By adopting VR training, firms can reduce training costs, eliminate wasted materials, and retain top talent. As the expert trades landscape continues to evolve, revolutionary solutions like Interplay Learning will play a vital role in shaping the longer term of technician training and development.
