Infusing technology into apprenticeship training
USA: MidAmerican Energy rolled out a digital curriculum to supplement the training program for its substation workforce.
Image source: T&D World
USA: MidAmerican Energy rolled out a digital curriculum to supplement the training program for its substation workforce.
Not so long ago, apprentices could only learn skills and best practices through hands-on training. Today, apprentices can explore equipment within a substation anytime and anywhere through MidAmerican Energy’s digital training curriculum.
Through a combination of animations, augmented reality (AR) and 3D modelling, apprentices can view components from any angle, visualize complex tasks and better understand how equipment works.
The curriculum also incorporates video demonstrations from other technicians and electricians across the company to supplement the apprenticeship content. While much of the apprenticeship is hands-on learning, the new digital curriculum can help bridge the gap when apprentices do not have the opportunity to work on those devices in the classroom or field.
“Prior to implementing the digital curriculum and construction of MidAmerican’s Training Center for Excellence in Des Moines, Iowa, continuing education for the journeymen was extremely limited,” says Chelsea McCracken, vice president of safety, training and development at MidAmerican Energy.
The digital curriculum helps to train substation technician and electrician apprentices on the work they do in the field, as well as the laptops and other tools they rely on each day. This includes relay testing and troubleshooting, proper use of physical tools like multimeters and relay test sets, as well as “soft” tools like Human Performance Improvement (HPI) tools, safety rules and common practices such as setting up work boundaries.
Source: T&D World
#digital training#MidAmerican Energy#substation workforce#USA