Global Energy Learning Solutions is an Australian technology company that specializes in using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology to improve training outcomes for trainees and operational and business outcomes for clients in the energy industry. They use a three-step VR training approach called the Train, Try, and Test model and have developed a unique 3D virtual world called the "training metaverse" where students can safely interact with equipment in a digital twin of their future work environment.

Global Energy Learning Solutions – Improving Learning Outcomes with VR and AR Technology

The energy resources sector is known for its perennial challenges in safety, risk and cost, but Global Energy Learning Solutions is making strides to address these issues. Global Energy Learning Solutions is a training provider based in Western Australia whose mission is to improve learning outcomes for trainees and help clients achieve their operational and business goals. Their secret weapon? Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology.

Global Energy Learning Solutions believes in the power of collaboration with clients and other providers, as experience has shown that this approach delivers agreed goals. Their vision is to support the energy industry through the development of its personnel, foster best industry practices in safety and production, create and develop the careers of the existing and future employees in this industry, and be a trusted resource and support to the energy industry.

The benefits of VR and AR training are numerous, and Global Energy Learning Solutions has embraced these technologies to address safety, risk and cost issues in the energy resources sector. VR and AR replicate hazardous workplaces in a realistic way, allowing trainees to practice highly skilled and risky tasks without exposing them to hazardous environments or live equipment. This also allows learners to work more confidently while avoiding costly or dangerous mistakes. There are savings in time and money because trainees do not need to travel to site, and a cost saving in training time. Learners can efficiently hone their skills by learning from their mistakes and repeating exercises.

Global Energy Learning Solutions uses the Train, Try, and Test model, which is a three-step VR training approach in which learners acquire new skills quickly and retain knowledge for longer. The three steps reinforce skill acquisition by introducing learners to new skills through instruction and examples, allowing learners to practice newly acquired skills with guidance, and finally, allowing learners to practice in a safe environment in which success can be measured.

Global Energy Learning Solutions has brought together experts from the oil & gas, vocational training, and AR/VR sectors to create their ‘training metaverse’ - a unique 3D virtual world that students enter using VR headsets. In the virtual world, the trainee is immersed in a digital twin of their future work environment where they can safely interact with pieces of equipment and familiarize themselves before they get to the site. The trainer guides them through any process and explains the right techniques for conducting work, identifying hazards, dealing with simulated emergencies, and even pulling components apart to explain how equipment works.

The benefits of the training metaverse are many: it eliminates the safety concerns of training on real equipment; there is a cost saving in training time and travel to the site; students learn in a digital twin of their actual future working environment; and students gain a better understanding of safety processes, procedures, and how to respond to emergencies by experiencing simulations of real-world scenarios.

The training metaverse is aligned to and incorporates Australian national competency standards, in association with registered training organizations including TAFE. The first units of competency to be launched are Working at Heights, Firefighting, First Aid, Permit to Work, Lockout Procedures, and Working in Confined Spaces.

Global Energy Learning Solutions has achieved remarkable success in a short time since their establishment. They are the only training provider in Western Australia that has developed this technology and have signed contracts with Woodside, Mitsui and Santos, three of the biggest companies in WA’s oil & gas sector.