AR EdTech for Hydrogen Skills The Blair Project
The AR Edtech for Hydrogen project is a response to industry’s pressing need for more agile, fast paced and cutting edge net zero skills training to deliver a skilled workforce of the right quantity, at the right time and in the right place.
The challenge
As the climate emergency grows, clean low carbon technologies like hydrogen and fuel cells are supporting critical industries, such as energy, transport and food and drink production to decarbonise. The global hydrogen economy is expected to be worth $2.5 trillion by 2050, supporting 30 million jobs.
To make the widespread use of hydrogen a reality, will require the rapid upskilling, new skilling and reskilling of hundreds of thousands of workers to deliver hydrogen to homes and businesses, and accelerate new innovations.
However, there aren’t enough college lecturers, and trainers who can teach industry compatible hydrogen skills at the volumes needed.
The project
The project will create a disruptive Edtech platform called uSkill360 to scale up volume delivery of net zero skills training using simulation-based AR, VR, AI and gamification solutions to deliver immersive, hands-on industry relevant job-ready skills at the point of need. Offering online certification aligned to international awarding standards, uSkill360 will cut training costs, and reduce staff time away from the workplace to attend training.
Seamlessly bridging the digital and physical world, uSkill360 will revolutionise the way that vocational skills training is delivered, allowing people of all ages, races and abilities to learn future skills, so that everyone benefits. The project will therefore positively impact diversity and inclusion. Virtual delivery will be supplemented by onsite training at the Manchester Innovation Activities Hub, a new £4m Net Zero industrialisation and electrification skills training centre within Manchester Science Park.
The project is led by a trailblazing social enterprise called the Blair Project, that exists to provide STEM education and training to underrepresented groups. Other project partners include immersive technology specialists Fuzzy Logic Studio, the Hydrogen Skills Alliance, in addition to industry players such as Carlton Power.
The future
The uSkill360 edtech platform will be fully functional by May 2025, offering a minimum of 10 x Level 2-3 hydrogen modules focussed on production, maintenance, and logistics technician and operator roles. The vision is for uSkill360 to build into the world’s 'go-to' net zero skills training platform by 2028, offering industrial digitalisation, renewable energies, batteries and automotive electrification modules through securing a £10m equity raise in Year 3.