Partners Celebrate The Successful Launch of the Nation's First Immersive Learning Lab for Workforce Development in Stafford, Virginia

AccessVR and GCubed Enterprises, Inc. (GCubed) celebrated the opening of the AccessVR Lab at GCubed on March 28, with nearly 150 participants in attendance from government, military, healthcare, industry, higher education and K-12 academic institutions.

“The event sparked excitement for immersive technologies and the workforce opportunities it presents to the entire region,” said AccessVR Chief Immersive Officer, EVP, and Founder J.J. Ruscella. “My hope is that academia, government, and industry will see the massive opportunities in working together to empower the common citizen to begin to utilize these new technologies. The opportunity is significant, but it requires us to come together to reach its potential.”

Throughout the day, participants experienced a variety of VR demonstrations, interacted with in-person and virtual role players, engaged with industry leaders, and learned how to plan for the workforce of the future.

Below are a few takeaways from participants.

It’s Not Just About Technology

“What I hope people learned today is that immersive learning is not just about technology,” said Dr. Andrew Clayton of Air Force University. “A 360 video is literally a story just done in a 360 video instead of a picture. If we think of immersive learning as just technology then most of us will never go there, but if we think of immersive learning as an experience that we can scale and use to connect with each other, then…the technology is just [the means] to get us there.”

Immersive Learning Useful in Healthcare Education

“I'm really hoping to see immersive learning, virtual reality, and role play used more in nursing education,” said Crystel Farina, Ph.D., RN, CNE, CHSE, Director of Simulation and Experiential Learning at George Washington University’s School of Nursing. “I really think it enhances what student nurses learn so that they're ready to take care of the public and really support the community and the community's health needs.”

Opening Doors For Individuals With Disabilities

“We’re hoping to take VR to a different level,” said Debera Tyalor, CEO of NW Works in Winchester, Virginia. “I see it being used within our organization for training and workforce development, maybe [empowering] some self-employment for the individuals that we serve, and in training either HR individuals or business managers on how to interview and/or interact with individuals with disabilities, so that we can find them employment in the community.”

Tools We All Can Use

“Overall, this entire experience has taught me there are tools out there that we can tap into to make our community better, and it's up to us to use them once they're there,” said Tinesha Allen, Supervisor for the Griffis-Widewater District in Stafford County, Virginia, where the AccessVR Lab at GCubed is located.

Let’s Keep Talking

“What I'm hoping for is a continued conversation,” said GCubed CEO and G3CS Founder Vernon Green Jr. “We are going to put forth programs for youth. We're going to put forth internships. We're going to teach coding. We're going to build a catalog of virtual experiences. We're going to do all of these things. And what we need are the partners and the people that came today to stand beside us and say, ‘Yes, this is something we need. This is something we want. This benefits industry, it benefits training, and it benefits education.’ These things are the future of learning. So, I'm looking for actionable items from all parties to take us all to the next step.”

Want to learn more about immersive learning for your organization? Please complete the Contact Us form and we will get back to you to continue the conversation.

– The AccessVR Team