When people talk about ‘solar’ today, they’re probably talking about ‘photovoltaics’, sometimes shortened to just ‘pv’.

It’s time we officially announce the launch of our new HVAC Catalog. Through the sleepless nights of developing software, working with industry experts, troubleshooting and designing 3D simulations, the day has finally arrived and our HVAC Catalog is live.

We are proud to announce we have been awarded a spot on the Inc. 5000 list. Interplay Learning recorded more than 120% growth in a three year period to earn the spot. According to Inc. Magazine, no company on the 2018 Inc. 5000 list has grown by less than 50% over the past three years—we are thrilled to be among so many amazing fast-growing innovators.

All organizations train their workforce and most spend a significant time doing so. Training programs can range from informal and disorganized to heavily regimented and process-driven. It's important to understand that training is only as good as its ability to help your team retain information and perform relevant skills. In hands-on jobs, VR (Virtual Reality) and Sims (Simulations) have proven to increase training efficiency which inherently can increase business profitability.

Our CEO, Doug Donovan, was asked to participate in some event activities at Dell Technologies Trailblazers Live taping. We wanted to share with you Doug's insight on how Virtual Reality is a critical technology to helping the workforce prepare for the jobs of the future. This video helps further show why our partnership with Dell is so important. VR is such greenfield, yet massive opportunity for our customer base that it takes support from tech leaders like Dell to help companies take advantage of this game-changing technology. 

Our Solar Training Program just launched, and we are excited to help companies grow and support their employees through improved training.  The Solar Training Program is the first industry-specific training program using sim based learning via both computers/tablets and virtual reality headsets. We believe the hardware should support the learning environment in the best way possible. Sometimes doing sim activities at home is best done via a computer. Other times when a small group is hanging in the warehouse, it is a perfect time to put on the VR headset to train. Because immersive, virtual reality training is so new, we take every chance to show people what it is like to learn new procedures in Virtual Reality. Last week at the NABCEP 2018 Solar Conference, we grabbed a video of a new user trying out the AC Disconnect Installation Simulation. We thought this encapsulated the immersive learning experience. Click below to watch the video.  Take note of the procedure guide used for instruction, full body movements that help with information retention, and detailed elements added to the installation. Reach out anytime with questions, and we hope to get you in a VR headset soon! 

Learning new skills is difficult. I’m reminded of this every day with my 6 year old son Nolan; he’s my home R&D learning center. Even though kids, in comparison to adults, are learning machines, they still need a ton of guidance and encouragement (and of course the occasional bribe or threat).

Interplay Learning Introduces On -The -Job -Training 2.0

Hands on training is very beneficial and is a critical part of an effective training program, but often hands-on training is perceived as the only option. This traditional mindset of “hands-on training is the only way” can lead to a longer ramp-up time and potentially less effective employees.

Interplay Learning’s concept of OJT 2.0 (On-The-Job 2.0) has been developed based on research on the traditional on-the-job training process. To understand OJT 2.0, we should discuss the inefficiencies, or areas for improvement, to discover where technology and slight adjustments in the process can deliver a better-trained employee in a shorter period of time.

Interplay's CEO, Doug Donovan, gives insight into the company's history of using simulations to prepare better a skilled workforce and why Virtual Reality will change the way people learn a trade.

Education systems, both formal and in the work place, have long been a topic of debate through all levels of their structures. They are debated in governments, through administrations, managers, and teachers, finally bottoming out with the students. It is the students who in the end feel the weight of the system’s decisions for better or worse. Pink Floyd’s popular song “Another Brick in the Wall” paints a somber picture of students turned out of the education system, factory style. They are just bricks, faceless, mindless. It doesn’t matter whether they learned, or what they learned, only that they went through the system! Fortunately, most education systems are not nearly as bleak and meaningless as this song paints them, this doesn’t mean however that they can’t be improved. The power of experiential learning, and simulation, are two potential solutions for improvement. Educators and employers preparing workers for skilled trades have much to benefit from these two approaches to learning.