Innovation

Training in an alternate reality

From gamification to augmented and virtual reality, training and skills development solutions are revolutionising how employees learn.

08 March 2018

A video released by General Electric (GE) in 2017 shows a technician wiring a wind turbine control box. As videos go, you’d be forgiven for wondering why it made for gripping viewing. The answer lies in the technology – the technician used two different methods to achieve the same goal. The first was the usual way, following company instructions manually. The second saw his performance improve by 38%. Why? Because he was wearing an augmented reality (AR) headset that overlaid instructions onto the box while he worked. The percentage is impressive, especially when held up against the dimming light of skills availability in South Africa and the relentless demand for trained people to handle increasingly complex tasks and industries.

GE is not the only organisation to unwrap the benefits of technology in training. Boeing found a 25% increase in productivity when harness assembly was undertaken by workers wearing AR headsets, while Lloyd’s Register saw impressive results with its virtual reality (VR) training simulator – the company had a 23% increase in bookings for its training courses in industry health and safety using the VR solution. Both Deloitte and Microsoft have invested in the concept of gamification to train staff and improve productivity.

ITWeb Premium

Get 3 months of unlimited access
No credit card. No obligation.

Already a subscriber Log in