Skillsroad tackles youth unemployment with launch of new VR experience via Paper Moose

The NSW Business Chamber’s Skillsroad initiative has teamed up with independent makers agency Paper Moose to create an immersive, multi-touchpoint virtual reality experience in an effort to raise young Australians’ awareness of apprenticeships and traineeships for various careers.

The digital experience, funded by the NSW Government Department of Industry, brings viewers into the offices and worksites of four trade industries: hospitality, construction, manufacturing and creative, and highlights a range of career options that can be achieved from VET pathways.

Provided with a full and unique 360 view into the workplace, users can interact with workers and watch videos to learn about various skills and training requirements, whilst exploring further information about opportunities available.

VIEW THE APP

The 360 Virtual Workplace can be found on the Skillsroad website, in addition to a standalone Oculus Go app. In a first of its kind for the genre, the microsite has been designed to work natively on Google Cardboard.

The campaign emerges after results from the Skillsroad 2018 Youth Census found that 55% of 15-24 year olds feared they wouldn’t like the career they chose and didn’t know what to do. Youth who pursued an apprenticeship pathway were found to have scored the highest level of wellbeing compared to any other pathway, including gap year takers.

Skillsroad aims to help young Australians transition to work or further study by providing a hub of information, recruitment opportunities and career advice via their online platform. Paper Moose have previously developed similar immersive VR education projects for UNSW and WSU.

Commenting on the site, Peter Gilchrist, general manager of Skillsroad and Apprenticeship Support Australia, said this creative use of technology was helping open up interesting career paths that may be unknown to young Australians.

Says Gilchrist: “Here at Skillsroad we want to give young people as many options as possible so that they can find their best fit – whether that’s university, an apprenticeship, traineeship or another alternative. Working with Paper Moose has allowed us to shed light on the endless career possibilities that so many young Australians are currently unaware of.

“The VR experience looks fantastic and we are looking forward to expanding the options to other industries, a move that will benefit even greater numbers of school leavers and young people in years to come.”

Rob Hughes, creative technologist at Paper Moose, says he saw this project as a great opportunity to show how virtual reality can add genuine value in a real-life environment.

Says Hughes: “In this sort of situation, where we had to make information about education exciting and relatable to today’s youth, VR is the perfect medium.

“It’s visual, interactive and doesn’t feel like an overload of information, which is exactly what this type of audience really responds to,” he said.

Agency: Paper Moose

Creative Director: Nick Hunter

Cultural Strategist: Eddie Bennett

VR Specialist: Michael Funnell