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PetroLMI launches Experience the Energy: Take the Challenge – extended reality career skill-testing games
May 5, 2020
Experience the Energy: Take the Challenge uses virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to fully immerse a user in a gaming experience or provide a blended environment of the virtual and physical world.
“This unique series of mini-games is intended to provide users an opportunity to experience occupations in Canada’s oil and gas industry in a whole new way,” says Carol Howes, Vice President of Energy Safety Canada’s Communications and PetroLMI. “These games are fun and engaging. This approach helps workers learn about occupations they may not have considered.”
Experience the Energy: Take the Challenge has been designed with Indigenous Peoples, youth, workers in transition and newcomers to Canada in mind. In the coming months PetroLMI plans to target this career planning tool specifically at youth and potential workers.
The mini-games provide users with an opportunity to try a sampling of tasks related to the energy industry, such as drilling down a wellbore, setting a charge to shoot seismic, conducting a worksite hazard assessment or adjusting equipment valves to maintain pressure. Once they’ve tested their skills, they are provided with their top career options based on 10 occupations in the oil and gas services sector.
“This new tool is one of a number of projects that PetroLMI has been working on to help provide workers with better information – and in a way that is appealing to them,” says Howes. “Connecting the right people with the right skill sets to the right opportunities supports and advances the development of a sustainable, skilled and productive workforce in the energy industry.”
Experience the Energy: Take the Challenge is the second initiative developed by PetroLMI to promote careers in the energy industry. Experience the Energy: Take the Tour, a first-of-its-kind virtual reality (VR) tour shows viewers what it is like to work on seven different sites in the energy industry – from conventional and automated drilling, steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), mining and processing facilities to natural gas and liquids pipelines.
Using XR as a learning and training tool is quickly becoming an area of focus. Some of the early studies and data available suggest it improves overall engagement in learning. XR engages users in a multi-sensory experience, unlike traditional learning methods, improving understanding.
Experience the Energy: Take the Challenge features eight mini-games in VR and is available for free through the Oculus store, specifically for the Oculus Go VR headset, or on the PetroLMI website. Five of the mini-games are also available in AR for use on tablets or cell phones, and which can be downloaded for free from the PetroLMI website, the Google Play and Apple App stores.
Experience the Energy: Take the Challenge is available in both English and French. Funding was provided by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program.
The Petroleum Labour Market Information (PetroLMI) Division of Energy Safety Canada is a leading resource for labour market information and trends in Canada's energy industry. PetroLMI specializes in providing oil and gas labour market data and insights, as well as resources for workforce and career planning.
For all media inquiries:
Breanne O’Reilly
Email: breanne.oreilly@energysafetycanada.com
Phone: 403.516.8050