Edinburgh school pupils and apprentices recently came together to launch a new app that gives young people an insight into careers in the construction industry.
Leith Academy pupils were joined by apprentices from Sharkey Group and Firstcall Trade Services to launch the Virtual Project Manager app on Google Play Store during Scottish Apprenticeship Week.
The free app allows users to view an animated 3D world where they are project managers charged with building new homes.
The app is part of Virtual Reality in Construction, which was developed through Skills Development Scotland’s My World of Work Live! Programme with partners the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Herriot-Watt University and Animmersion UK Ltd.
Louise Chisholm, senior programme manager for My World of Work Live!, commented, “This app immerses young people in a construction environment in a fun and engaging way.
“We hope it will help open their eyes to the wealth of opportunity the construction industry in Scotland has to offer.”
John Keenan, partnerships manager at CITB Scotland, said, “Virtual Project Manager is an innovative way of capturing young people’s imaginations about the fantastic opportunities a career in construction can provide them with.
“We hope that it will enable users to experience construction and inspire them to get involved in the development of Scotland’s built environment in the future.”
Sam Harrison, director of Animmersion UK Ltd, added, “Working on this project with the three partners was a very rewarding experience. We were able to develop innovative new ways of bringing educational messages and content to a young audience and the results are truly remarkable.
“The use of virtual reality as a means of educational and training engagement offers boundless possibilities.”
