On 2 November, Maroochydore social enterprise welcomed a brand-new Virtual Reality (VR) kit thanks to a $7,250 Commonwealth Government Stronger Communities grant, designed to help employees upskill and get work ready.
The new Virtual Reality Learning (VRL) hub boasts a 75″ eBoard screen, VR headset and cable, a powerful Lenovo desktop computer and an Xbox driving wheel. Covering a range of work and life skills, employees will be able to practise activities like forklift safety, driving and confidential document destruction in the safety of the virtual world before trying them out in the real-world.
Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Ted O’Brien attended the unveiling saying he was thrilled to see the Government’s grant making such a positive impact on the lives of people living with a disability.
I am proud to have secured a $7,250 Stronger Community Grant in support of the Endeavor Foundation’s new Virtual Reality Learning Hub
Experience is often the most sought-after credential for employers and this VR Hub will provide this in droves for those looking for work.
The ability of a job to improve people’s lives cannot be underestimated
Executive General Manager of Work, Eric Teed said the VR training modules now available at Maroochydore social enterprise make learning more intuitive, fun and memorable.
For many of the people we support, learning to do a complex activity such as driving a car or forklift can be especially daunting, but VR makes it fully immersive, fun, and can help cut out distractions
– Eric Teed
VR bridges the gap between the classroom and the real-world, by giving people the chance to see and hear what something is like and build confidence in that activity before they try it for real.
What people we support think of the new kit
It’s so lifelike. I have my driver’s licence already, but I did the driving simulation and when I put the goggles on, it was so real. It looked like what I see out on the road in the real-world. There’s one thing in VR that I’d really like to learn and that’s the forklift and if I can do the forklift VR then I can get my licence one day.
It’s like stepping into another world. In the document destruction program, after you put the VR headset on, you go into this room with different stuff on the walls, and it feels like you can actually reach out and touch it. It’s much easier to learn with the VR.
I think practicing will improve my confidence and I’d like to go for my Learners [licence] again. Learning to drive would mean I’d be able to go and get out of the house more
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