Students test innovative tech to improve their interview skills
LONDON, December 2nd, 2021
Sandwell College has been taking part in a global project involving students from Paris, London, and Toronto to help young people improve their workplace and career skills.
The high-tech West Midlands college – which currently teaches over 6,000 16–18-year-old’s and an additional 2,000 adult learners – has been working alongside Bodyswaps, an innovative virtual reality (VR) business. Students have been involved in a programme using VR to practise their soft skills before they start to apply for jobs.
As the name of the company running the study suggests, the students have literally been able to ‘swap bodies’ in VR and see how they come across in job interview situations. The software allows students to hear themselves, watch their behaviour and even assess their posture so that they can make the necessary improvements.
The results of the programme have been overwhelmingly positive with 84% of students saying that they now feel more confident about the prospect of a ‘real life’ interview
Sandwell is no stranger to innovation. In 2016 it opened its Fab Lab, a high-tech maker space and digital innovation hub, equipped with the latest technologies, ranging from 3D printers to laser cutters, to VR headsets. The college is now looking to build a dedicated ‘Bodyswaps Experience’ area so that students can practise for upcoming job interviews inside private training booths
The college plans to make VR soft skills training available to all students by the end of 2022.