MSI Announces Partnerships to Enhance Credentials
Through Use of AR/VR
MT1 Credential enhances it online materials with Augmented
and Virtual Reality Capabilities provided by Lifeliqe and TRANSFR
RICHMOND, VA – The Manufacturing Skills Institute (MSI), the workforce development affiliate of the Virginia Manufacturers Association, announced today that they have enhanced the Manufacturing Technician Level 1 (MT1) Credential by adding Augmented and Virtual Reality Capabilities to the learning modules.
“Augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) are poised to become one of the next largest consumer electronics verticals. According to Goldman Sachs, AR/VR has the potential to surpass the TV market in annual revenue by 2025, which would make AR/VR bigger than TV. We know that 90 percent of information that comes to the brain is visual, and research from the 3M Corporation has shown that visual aids improve learning by up to 400 percent. Adding AR/VR is the next step in engaging students to learn new skills,” said Dr. Victor Gray, Executive Director, MSI.
The Manufacturing Skills Institute has added new partnerships with Lifeliqe, Inc. to use Augmented Reality, and TRANSFR Virtual Reality Training. Both enhancements are available through the MT1 Credential curriculum, and these partnerships will serve as a national benchmark for innovative approaches to training and skills development for jobs in modern manufacturing.
Industry credentials are competency-based and signal that individuals have the technical competencies for employment and career advancement. The MT1 certificate program is the premiere industry-wide technical skills assessment, training and certification system for all production and production-support occupations for all sectors of manufacturing and includes two levels of portable, stackable industry credentials: MT1 and Manufacturing Specialist (MS). Recipients demonstrate to employers that they have attained mastery of the following industry-wide critical technical skills: Math and Measurement; Spatial Reasoning and Manufacturing Technology; and Quality and Business Acumen. The certifications have been third-party validated and are included in the NAM-endorsed National Skills Certification System.
Enhancing these credentials through immersive solution such as AR/VR is an exciting next step in the future of credential training. According to the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, AR/VR has been shown to be an excellent complement to STEM learning by encouraging higher engagement and improving memory recall for complex or abstract topics. These experiences can move past physical space limitations and create educational opportunities that students might not otherwise easily have in a classroom.
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About MSI
The Manufacturing Skills Institute (MSI) provides relevant education and skills training for careers in advanced manufacturing by offering world-class training programs delivered by MSI and MSI education partner institutions. Through the partnership between industry and education, employers set the skill standards for MSI program offerings anywhere offered to ensure learning is linked to employment and career advancement opportunities. Employer-specific customized training can be provided onsite or at any MSI education partner location. Working learners advance their manufacturing technology knowledge and skills via OJT classes, classroom-based and online training offered by MSI and education partner faculty grounded in real word experience. For more information about MSI, visit manufacturingskillsinstitute.org.
About Lifeliqe
Lifeliqe is a visual publishing platform presenting world’s first digital K-12 science curriculum enhanced with interactive 3D models and aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core. Lifeliqe enables users to drag & drop any of its 1,100 interactive 3D & augmented reality models into lesson plans, ebooks and other learning resources. Students, teachers and homeschoolers can access premium, ready-to-use 3D models and lesson plans for learning, creating and sharing their own content. With roots in the classroom and having been used by teachers in more than 100 countries, Lifeliqe is available as a browser app, in the Apple App Store & Windows Store to any student, parent or teacher seeking an exciting way to learn STEM topics. For more information about Lifeliqe visit lifeliqe.com.
About TRANSFR
TRANSFR’s Virtual Training Facility simulates the type of training that takes place in a physical training facility. With one-to-one training from a digital coach who adapts to trainee performance, TRANSFR safely replicates an on-the-job environment anywhere — in rural areas, at home, in the classroom — without the overhead of a multi-million dollar training facility while reducing training time compared to a traditional training environment. TRANSFR gives students and job seekers a hands-on, immersive experience so they can examine career options that they may not
have previously considered. For more information about TRANSFR’s Virtual Reality Training, visit transfrvr.com.
