Skillveri: Revolutionizing Vocational Training with VR/XR Technology

Skillveri leverages VR/XR technology to provide efficient, scalable, and cost-effective vocational training solutions, particularly for civil engineering skills like welding & spray painting.

Sabarinath C Nair - Founder & CEO, Skillveri

How does Skillveri harness the power of virtual reality (VR) in vocational education, and what impact is it having on the skill development landscape, especially in the field of civil engineering?

Skillveri’s philosophy has been to use the technology of VR to deliver learning outcomes that will be impossible to achieve with just conventional training. In addition to the obvious advantages of safety and ease of use, VR enables precise evaluation of the task performed, which is not possible with mere visual inspection.

In vocational training for skills where hand dexterity is critical, we have ensured that every single hand movement is tracked. The feedback allows learners to practice on their exact pain points and perfect their skills in a very short time.

In civil engineering related skills including welding and spray painting, where the cost of imperfect skills can be high, and often more than just monetary, this has significantly enhanced the quality of learning delivered, and brought down the costs and time of training for the employers.

What about skill development for blue-collar workers?

We believe that blue collared workers should also benefit from modern, tech-enabled learning, just like how theoretical or college education undergoes constant modernization. We have built the solution to be very learner-centric and intuitive, making sure that the learners enjoy the learning process.

What are the achievements that have shaped Skillveri’s success over the past decade?

One of the key factors in our success has been our propensity to adapt to technology quickly. When we first built the product, the technology ran 2D simulations, but within a few years, when tech started to become mainstream, we moved to 3D and VR.

The fact that our products are being developed in collaboration with industry partners who are the end-users is a big factor behind our success. Our simulators are gaining acceptance on the shopfloors of 150+ industrial customers across diverse sectors.

We are one of the very few to use the Unity 3D gaming engine for a training application, and it was a proud moment for us when we won the Best Non-Game Project award from Unity at its Unite Melbourne showcase in 2017.

Our watershed moment came during the peak of the Covid pandemic when we quickly built and deployed software-only solutions that could be downloaded and used by students on their VR devices, even from their homes, when they were unable to come to physical training centres and use shared equipment. This enabled our reach to the North American market, and today we have more than 50+ high schools across US and Canada who are using our solution for their skill training programs.

Which sectors are benefiting from Skillveri's training modules?

Broadly, Skillveri products find application wherever industrial welding or painting is involved. These include industries such as automobiles (passenger & commercial vehicles), construction equipment & heavy machinery, railways, power plants, etc. to name a few.

In the education sector, a large number of ITIs (both govt & private) in India are using our simulators. A growing number of high schools and community colleges across USA and Canada also use our simulators in their CTE (career and technical education) programs.

How cost-effective is Skillveri’s mode of simulator-based training?

Using a technology like this to deliver training saves costs in multiple ways. There are the direct costs of material and time spent on training, and the cost of trainer’s time involved - all of which drastically come down in a simulator-based training program.

In addition, the high degree of skills acquired through simulator training ensures that the rejections and rework on the job significantly come down, resulting in cost savings on that aspect too. Overall, industries benefit from 60-80% cost savings by adopting training simulators compared to conventional training methods.

What are the challenges in promoting and implementing VR/XR technology in vocational training?

One of the key challenges in the Indian scenario is that industries require trained workers, but often do not want to bear the responsibility and cost of training. We convince them by explaining the long-term benefits of a VR/XR simulator-based training, and how it gives them quick payback on their investment in less than 12 months.

In most cases where potential customers are either initially sceptical about the technology over conventional training, or dismissive due to their experience of other simulators, we see them completely changing their mind once they personally experience our product. The complete immersive and real feel makes them realise that our product is a game changer for their workforce/students.

How do you see the XR technology evolving in the future?

The way we interact with computing has changed over the years (from using a mouse on a computer to touch screen on a smartphone), VR and MR will make it more natural to interact with computing - just like we interact with things in the real world.

This will make the learning curve in understanding the technology much shorter, thereby the learner spends more time focusing on the skill that she or he has to acquire. Technology is not only improving; its costs are coming down too. XR will one day become a part of our daily lives.

Considering the rapid pace of technological advancement and the evolving landscape of vocational training, what could be the long-term impact of XR-based training on employability and employment opportunities, especially in countries like India?

India is a country with a large youth population, and the best way to reap that demographic dividend is to ensure that they are equipped with the skills for the future. Vocational skills offer a lot of career options and it is important to create awareness as well as remove the stigma among the youth towards vocational skills. Modernizing training and delivering it through state-of-the-art technology is definitely a strong factor in creating a change in perception on how skills are viewed.

The other and more important aspect is that the future of work is rapidly evolving, and manufacturing is becoming more and more modernised. Conventional training methods cannot keep pace with the requirements of modern industries, and this is where tech-driven training through VR/XR simulators become imperative.

XR simulations make training scalable and cost effective; it will incentivise industries to invest in upskilling their workforce, and thereby elevating the overall standard of employability, and also making employees view companies that have modern, updated technology more favourably over others.

It is also essential for institutions like ITI’s that provide training to a large number of youth getting added to the country’s workforce each year, to update themselves and adapt technologies like VR/XR simulations. This will ensure that ITI students get global quality training that equips them to find stable careers in leading industries.

What are Skillveri's expansion plans?

In our next phase of plans, we are keen on expanding in the US and European markets. The US education sector holds a lot of promise with its focus on CTE (career and technical education).

Our product is already used by 50+ schools across USA and Canada for training their students in skills like welding and HVAC (AC) repair, and we hope to expand further by adding more schools and more skills to our portfolio in the coming years.