How technology is reducing the threat of the skilled trades gap: Part 2

Education through simulation

Another exciting set of technologies helping to lessen the impact of the trade skills gap are industrial simulators. Industrial simulators can be used to allow an employee to practice a type of job commonly found in a manufacturing environment such as spray coating.

SimSpray is a simulator that produces a virtual reality environment where workers can learn how to correctly apply a coating to a variety of substrates. Since it is virtual reality, no coating material and no parts are wasted during the training process. Gamification, scoring systems, and high-contrast visualizations can help catalyze learning as well. Simulators can be found for a variety of manufacturing processes and are becoming even more life-like every day.