Interplay Learning

The rural landscape of Nebraska currently presents K12 school districts with challenges in building an effective program of study for CTE around skilled construction trades pathways. The ESU Coordinating Council Administrators have expressed interest in a cutting-edge method to introduce, highlight and demonstrate technical training in an immersive environment. ESUCC is seeking a cost-effective and scalable way to provide technical training to the students throughout each of Nebraska’s seventeen educational service units (ESU).  Additionally, ESUCC is interested in having the most competitive price in the state.

Founded in 2016, Interplay Learning is the leading global provider of online and VR training for the essential skilled trades. The Austin, Texas-based firm develops and delivers scalable, highly effective digital learning simulations for the HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Solar and Facilities Maintenance workforce. Leveraging Comersive Learning technology, Interplay allows its customers to practice hands-on learning and train to be job-ready in weeks, not years. Interplay has taken what they’ve learned from years of upskilling the workforce and applied that knowledge to enhance their program for their K-12, Post- Secondary and Higher-Ed partners.

The company was named to the 2020 Inc. Best in Business list, won the AI Breakthrough Award for Best Use of Virtual Reality for Enterprise Applications and won the 2020 Software Innovation Award Winner at AHR Expo (The HVAC industry’s largest, global conference).

Our biggest differentiator is our deep library of trades training content. Our vision is to give any individual or organization a multi-million dollar training facility at the tip of their fingers via phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, or VR headset. The catalog model has already been proven for K12 Dual Enrollment, Post-Secondary, Higher Education and Workforce Development programs in Nebraska, including Southeast Community College, Northeast Community College and The Center for People in Need. An easy-to-access content library of relevant exploration and on-the-job skills is the new way to access exposure to careers and improve individual and organizational performance. SkillMill is leading the industry with a market validated, ever-expanding library of trades knowledge, positioned to deliver content to millions of learners throughout the world.

On-demand training allows for 24/7 access, giving learners and professionals alike the ability to practice a particular skill set an unlimited amount of times in a risk-free environment. Accessible on almost any digital device, including VR, SkillMill has transformed traditional exploratory and training models to no longer be location-dependent. This innovation helps to develop skills for our essential workforce at scale in a faster, safer and more efficient way.

Noted several times above, a key point of differentiation for Interplay is the simulation-based delivery. These simulations (delivered in VR or on other devices) equip learners with a tool to practice in-the-field skills in a safe and scalable manner. Campuses no longer need additional lab space with various equipment to provide students with reps completed in a simulated environment before they can be considered job ready – with Interplay’s VR technology, you bring the field to the user, anytime, anywhere. Aspects of gamification have thoughtfully been embedded throughout SkilMill as well. The addition of game-play, such as point scoring, competitions, and leaderboards, makes the delivery of our training content more engaging and motivating, leading to much higher learning retention rates than traditional teaching methods.

Behind the curtain, with our proprietary authoring engine, VOLT, we can create a wider variety of training simulations with real-world scenarios quicker (in weeks not months or years) and cost-effectively, making training easily available to more people. VOLT was purpose-built for hands-on careers by employing VR and 3D simulations to deliver job-relevant universal and manufacturer specific learning. It is what powers our ongoing content delivery and drastically reduces sim production time, at a fraction of the cost.

Interplay has partnered with organizations that serve learners from all stages of their career journey in the trades, from the exploratory level to seasoned technicians in the field. Leveraging our affordable and accessible platform, we have partnered with mom-and-pop shops all the way through to large facilities maintenance groups and manufacturers, like Daiken and Carrier, on direct training needs.

In the Workforce Development space, we have joined hands with organizations like Lowe’s on their Track to the Trades Program, further detailed in our response, as well as Walmart to support a joint mission to close the skilled trades labor shortage and skill gap. Additionally, we have partnered with organizations that focus on developing and staffing the workforce, like PeopleReady. We also work with organizations like the Department of Defense, through their immense system of library branches, to support service members and their families with career exploration and training to support them beyond their military career.

When working with partners like Lowe’s and PeopleReady, Interplay Academy learners are guided down structured competency paths, which they can tackle at their own pace. At every point, their progress is visually communicated to them, and they can instantly pick up where they left off with their learning the moment they log in. This flexible system works whether the user stopped in the middle of a course, or having finished a course and preparing to begin the next course in their current competency path. Further, our cloud-based program allows this to happen regardless of user device type. This allows users to consume training where they want it and how they want it.

We are standardized, yet individualistic with our partners. We have an incredible approach that follows Bloom’s Taxonomy, that we often refer to as a Walk, Jog, Run approach for learners where we build upon foundational skills to promote higher-order thinking. With our partners, we offer custom curriculum development and mapping to tailor the platform to their needs by leveraging subject matter experts and engaging in collaborative efforts to ensure the development process is

informed by the latest industry insights and educational practices. Simultaneously, we provide timely and helpful responses to client inquiries, concerns, and feedback throughout the project, ensuring a positive and productive client-provider relationship. Maintaining clear and open communication with all stakeholders, keeping them informed of progress, challenges, and updates, are important elements to our process that promotes fostering transparency and trust. Based on our existing approach in the EDU space and rapport with our existing customers on a variety of custom needs, Interplay is confident that we can collaboratively develop and maintain comprehensive skilled construction trades curriculum that effectively meets the needs of public school districts, non-public school systems, other ESUs, and other stakeholders, promoting awareness and understanding of a career in the skilled trades, while also developing the next generation of the Nebraska workforce.  We are more than happy to answer any questions that arise or further elaborate on any information included throughout our response.

Contracted through a negotiated agreement process.