Newcastle College’s Energy Academy in Wallsend installed an Immersive Hybrid Reality (iHR) offshore wind training facility. This is a virtual reality system to help train future engineers.
The system replicates working conditions experienced by wind turbine engineers operating on offshore wind farms. The technology enables users to virtually find and diagnose faults, in a realistic but safe environment which helps them develop the key skills they need to work in the wind industry.
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The technology will allow Newcastle College to support the region’s growing energy sector, as part of the UK’s aim to create 27,000 skilled jobs in the industry by 2030.
Director of Business Partnerships Marc McPake said:
Technology and innovation are changing the future of education and training and we hope that this facility will create a lasting legacy by supporting the creation of highly skilled jobs and employment for our region
For her part, Carol Bell, Executive Director of Great Exhibition of the North, noted that the goal is to move forward to train future engineers from the North East.
Future engineers at the Energy Academy will begin training with the new system immediately, boosting their future employability in the sector. The Energy Academy has trained more than 1,200 students since it opened in 2012 and works with industry stakeholders to deliver courses, degrees and apprenticeships for subsea and renewable energy.
