Our Mission

Better careers, better lives for the skilled trades.

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Background

Since 2016, Austin-based Interplay Learning has been building better training, better careers and better lives for our customers and their employees. Our award-winning online and VR training for the essential skilled trades is scalable and more effective than traditional training methods. By leveraging our immersive learning and career development platform, our customers are able to train and practice hands-on learning from any device or in virtual reality. The result is a highly trained employee who is job-ready in weeks, not years.

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Better Careers, Better Lives Across the Globe

Skill up with the leading global provider of online and VR training for the essential skilled trades in:

 

United States

South Africa

Awards & Recognitions

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Interplay Learning Named to Forbes' 2024 List of America's Best Startup Employers
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News and PR

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Krista Washbourne, Multi-Family Expert at Interplay Learning
MULTI-FAMILY EXPERT

Krista Washbourne

Frank Garro, plumbing expert at Interplay Learning
PLUMBING EXPERT

Frank Garro

Our Experts

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Our Partners

Join our worldwide partner community.

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Join Our Team

Want to join our growing team? See open positions below.

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Company Recognition

Interplay Learning Named to Forbes' 2024 List of America's Best Startup Employers
Interplay Learning Named to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies 2024
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Frank Garro, plumbing expert at Interplay Learning
Plumbing Expert

Frank Garro

"Over the years, I've learned a lot of lessons by doing things the hard way, making mistakes and going back to fix them,” he says. “Interplay Learning is the best way for me to reach the most people and train them how to do their job without learning the hard way."

About

Frank began his career in the plumbing trade. He worked for a company that also did HVAC work. A chance to visit the ASHRAE trade show in Chicago gave him the unique chance to explore the inside of a rooftop unit on display that was large enough to literally walk inside. Immediately, he was hooked. The experience inspired him to begin studying HVAC at the local community college and 18 years later he became the Program Chair of the HVAC department at the Fort Wayne campus of Ivy Tech.

As an educator, Garro is a firm believer in teaching the fundamentals, or as he says, “the science that supports the mechanical systems we interact with every day,” adding that, “If you understand the how and the why behind the way mechanical things work, there are no limits to what you can do and your value (earning potential) will continually increase.” Over the years, Frank has taught in a variety of situations, from one-on-one apprenticeship training to classroom and lab environments, and has even developed his own course materials. But he feels that the biggest thing a technician can gain from training is confidence – something Interplay Learning’s unique training experiences instill. “In my early days as a technician, when I would approach a piece of equipment I had never seen before I would stare at it like a deer in headlights,” he reveals. “I believe we can take the intimidation out of learning complex concepts, accelerate the productivity of new employees and also expose the more seasoned technician to things they have not yet encountered in the field.”

 

Accreditations

  • Associate Professor and HVAC Program Chair, Ivy Tech Community College
  • Owner, Consolidated Mechanical Services
  • Licensed Mechanical Contractor
  • Licensed Plumbing Contractor
  • Licensed Electrical Contractor
  • Six Sigma Yellow Belt, 2016
  • State Curriculum Chair, 2017-20

Education

  • BS, Building Construction Management, Purdue University
  • MS, Career and Technical Education, Purdue University

Projects

  • Removing Barriers in CTE Courses for Special Needs Learners.
  • Reaching High School Students with CTE – Construction Trades Education.
  • Setting up college based and high school based dual credit for Mechanical Construction Trades in the greater Fort Wayne, IN region.
  • Developing a Program Website to Encourage Student Involvement and Increase Retention Rates.