Solving the Skills Gap With VR, with Doug Donovan, CEO and Founder of Interplay Learning

Welcome to Elevating Brick and Mortar. A podcast about how operations and facilities drive brand performance. Brands everywhere are struggling to compete during a shortage of skilled workers. By making skill and trade training more accessible, we can start to address one of the industry’s biggest challenges. Today we’ll hear Doug Donovan, CEO and Founder of Interplay Learning. Interplay is the global leader in online, Virtual Reality and 3D simulation training for the essential skilled trades. Guest Bio: Doug Donovan is the CEO and Founder of Interplay Learning, the global leader in online, Virtual Reality and 3D simulation training for the essential skilled trades. Interplay’s solution is more scalable and effective than traditional methods and is transforming how “hands-on” careers--like electricians, plumbers, maintenance and HVAC technicians--are accessed and trained. More than 1,500 companies are using Interplay to improve their businesses, and more than 175,000 professionals and students have used Interplay products to advance a technical skillset or start a career. Prior to Interplay, Donovan founded two software companies and developed a small ski area in Colorado. Donovan holds a BA from the University of Virginia, and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Timestamps: 00:20 - What is Interplay Learning? 01:12 - Doug’s journey 14:42 - Solving for the skilled workforce shortage 16:44 - The three Rs 21:55 - The bet on VR 31:37 - AI and Interplay 37:23 - Future thinking 45:58 - Sid’s takeaways Sponsor: ServiceChannel brings you peace of mind through peak facilities performance. Rest easy knowing your locations are: Offering the best possible guest experience Living up to brand standards Operating with minimal downtime ServiceChannel partners with more than 500 leading brands globally to provide visibility across operations, the flexibility to grow and adapt to consumer expectations, and accelerated performance from their asset fleet and service providers. Links: Connect with Doug Donovan on LinkedIn Connect with Sid Shetty on Linkedin Check out the ServiceChannel Website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.