---
title: Empowering students with AI & VR soft skills training at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College
description: SGS College empowers students with AI and VR training, enhancing their soft skills and preparing them for impactful careers in health and social care.
---

[AI-powered VR soft skills training case studies | Does it work? ](https://bodyswaps.co/resources/case-studies)

# [Empowering students with AI & VR soft skills training at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College](https://bodyswaps.co/resources/case-studies/south-gloucestershire-stroud)

 Written by [Georgia Read](https://bodyswaps.co/resources/case-studies/author/georgia-read) | Jan 5, 2026 9:30:00 AM

Across four main campuses, South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS) serves over 15,000 full- and part-time students of all ages.

Led by Jake Barnes, Head of Digital Education and Libraries, SGS are piloting Bodyswaps across students of different cohorts, age groups, and levels.

The feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive, from both students and educators.

Goals

- Empower learners to practise and develop soft skills like active listening and communication
- Support staff in delivering engaging, innovative lessons while building their confidence with new technology

## Deployment

### Training & onboarding

 Jake led a VR "driving license" training for staff, building their confidence before running sessions themselves. As staff became more familiar, they began scheduling their own sessions independently.

### The learning space

 A library space was repurposed as the central VR hub. Students were rotated in small groups through VR headsets, with the other half working on laptops equipped with headsets and microphones. Being in close proximity didn’t disrupt immersion, as the more background noise they heard, the less they felt others were listening in.

## Results

 After one session of *Let’s Talk About Race: Navigating Microaggressions* in VR:

- 92% of students would recommend Bodyswaps to their peers
- 83% of students identified areas to improve on their Active Listening skills
- 83% of students increased their understanding of the module topic

## Impact

- Health and social care students, in particular, were “really astounded” in how naturally they applied the skills in simulation.
- Students began discussing scenarios and outcomes outside of the headset, showing high levels of engagement.

## Advice

- Encourage teachers to complete the modules themselves before deploying them, so they’re confident in the content  
  they’re sharing and can help students.
- When piloting, establish evaluation metrics from the start, to ensure consistent monitoring of impact.
- Prioritise integrating Bodyswaps into curriculum areas, indicating its value as more than just an innovative novelty.

## Future plans

 Jake and her team plan to continue working with the current cohorts while expanding Bodyswaps into new areas, including HNC Business students and Duke of Edinburgh groups.

This will allow the college to test its impact across a broad spectrum of learners, from entry level to level six, and gather rich feedback.

 

[View full post](https://bodyswaps.co/resources/case-studies/south-gloucestershire-stroud)

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