£1.25m funding available for immersive learning projects in construction

Could you develop a pilot which would enable learners in the construction industry to become immersed in an interactive learning environment?

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has opened a second call for funding applications to help solve skills challenges. £1.25m is available for investment in up to five projects that increase capacity and capability to deliver immersive learning across the construction industry.

In September 2017 CITB published research on the value, opportunities and barriers of immersive learning adoption in construction training. This funding opportunity follows from the recommendations in that report.

Training delivery and the sector as a whole is facing a number of challenges:

• There is an ageing workforce (30% currently over 50) and potentially fewer migrant workers as a result of Brexit
• Negative perceptions of the industry by potential new entrants
• The need for more, ‘work-ready’ staff: 29% of businesses a part of CITB’s Employer Wave Panel (Wave 16) stated they were struggling to find suitable skills to fill professional and technical roles
• The drive for modernisation and a workforce proficient in digital tools and processes.

The research found that immersive learning can help address these challenges in a number of ways:

• Enhance the industry’s appeal to ‘digitally-native’ audiences through future-focused technology
• Increase the quality and coverage of training by providing experiences and environments that may not be possible via traditional methods, making students more ‘work-ready’
• Improve levels of collaboration and problem-solving tasks that stimulate more interrogation and knowledge retention
• Reduce cost of delivery and optimise trainers’ time by improving tutor / student ratios and freeing up time for more technical aspects.

Outcomes

Projects should:

• Apply immersive learning in innovative ways that demonstrates sustainable and scalable impact in an area with significant potential benefits (as identified in section 4 of the guidelines).
• Test, pilot and implement immersive learning with beneficiary groups employed in construction or people who have the potential to become so, that stand to make significant gain from its application (as identified in section 4 of the guidelines).
• Achieve greater awareness and familiarity with the opportunities for immersive learning among wider industry, so as to increase the potential for wider uptake, by showcasing funded solutions through events, forums and networks.

How to apply

Applications opened on the 29th May 2018, with the deadline at 5pm on the 23rd July 2018.

To request an application form, please email funding@citb.co.uk

More information can be found here.