John Banks, Head of Product Management & Marketing at HellermannTyton, discusses how virtual reality can help to create a new breed of future-ready electricians, especially during a global pandemic.
The past year has seen electrical installers face many challenges, from uncertainty of projects through to carrying out training safely. While the sector – and the rest of the world for that matter – recovers, the key to ensuring a strong pipeline of skilled electricians is helping deliver essential training and retraining.
The implementation of virtual reality (VR) has been used as an educational tool in schools to attract younger generations for several years, but it’s also ideal for training within industry.
A survey by edTech platform, Bett, found that 90% of teachers agree that technology helps improve the quality of learning, which further reinforces the importance of integrating innovation and technology with learning. With VR’s ability to digitally replicate products and procedures, it’s become a key tool for HellermannTyton at its ACADEMY.
Across many industries, training can drain both time and resources – this is even more so the case when companies rely on their best performer to train others. When a company chooses to adopt VR training, they can train both current and new hires without having to rely on additional staff or resources. Alongside this, VR can be used to train people whatever the weather – it doesn’t matter if there are adverse weather conditions, as all you need is a pair of VR goggles.
Another added benefit is that these applications are usually available in a range of different languages, helping to overcome any translation barriers.
HellermannTyton UK’s VR experience, located at its Cannock site, let’s students explore five different scenarios using a pair of VR goggles, so they can see exactly how products are used in a range of applications. The technology is used for ‘problem-based’ learning, where the user can virtually access a range of different products to build a circuit, and see the aftermath in a simulated outcome.
This makes it easy for students to understand highly complex products and how they work in unique areas. From a virtual tour inside a wind turbine to the carriage of a train, students can have immersive, real-world experiences that give them a taste of what working in the industry might be like.
Training tools like VR show just how diverse the day-to-day job role for an electrician can be, helping demonstrate that it’s an attractive career prospect. Electrical companies must consider new ways in which they can innovate, engage younger generations and place their business at the forefront of this new digital age.
With so many young people and trained electricians unable to access traditional in-person training at this moment in time, HellermannTyton has introduced a new series of training programmes to its ACADEMY that can be accessed virtually, including live-streamed product demonstrations, webinars, and e-learning courses.
Get more details on HellermannTyton’s Academy and training programmes by clicking here
