£8.7m ACT-UK Simulation Centre to train site managers as though on real project
The UK’s first virtual reality training facility for construction has opened today in Coventry. The £8.7m ACT-UK Simulation Centre is only the second of its kind in the world and will enable construction site managers to be trained as though on a real site, using pioneering technology.
A 12m panoramic screen recreates a wide variety of scenarios, meaning trainees could be “virtually” on site at anything from a small, rural affordable housing scheme, to an inner-city high-rise office development.
The technology means trainees can “fly through” the virtual construction site, inspecting building work in close detail, giving them an opportunity to make decisions in a safe and controlled environment, supported by individual observation, evaluation and feedback.
The Centre was developed by ACT-UK with input from construction industry bodies including NHBC, and supported by the Chartered Institute of Ȧ. It is modeled on the Ȧ Management Simulation Centre in the Netherlands.
Rob Lockey, training services manager at NHBC, said: “This new centre offers a world-leading approach to training that will reshape the way sites are run. As the UK construction industry emerges from recession, ensuring staff are fully and expertly trained will be a vital part of ramping up productivity and efficiency, to produce low-carbon housing of the future. This new centre will be invaluable in that process.”
The centre was funded by a £6.6m loan from Advantage West Midlands, together with investments of £2.1m from Coventry University Enterprises, Construction Skills, Learning and Skills Council Coventry and Warwickshire and construction industry private sector investors.
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