Developing workforces today isn’t like it used to be. You see, the modern learner demands immediacy and more interactivity from corporate training, so contemporary workforce development must go beyond instructor-led training and eLearning courses.
Modern workforce development engages through microlearning, gamification, and immersive training solutions that rely on virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to deliver learning experiences.
While interactive VR and AR simulations are particularly effective for medicine or aviation training, you can also use them for roleplaying in multiple other learning areas, such as sales training or leadership training, to allow learners to act out different work scenarios.
Immersive training solutions are safe, as employees practice with real-world situations without risking the real consequences of making mistakes. They’re also scalable solutions and help companies retain staff.
In this article, we’ll explore the types of technologies used in immersive training, the benefits of such training, and how it’s being applied in the corporate world. But if your company is ready to jump to the implementation stage, check out our immersive training solutions page.
What are immersive training solutions?
Immersive training solutions are corporate training solutions that use advanced technologies like VR and AR to build interactive simulations of real work situations.
They’re highly interactive and realistic, which is why they’re so engaging. Plus, they appeal to different industries, such as healthcare and manufacturing. And on top of that, they’re scalable, which makes them cost-effective when expanding business globally.
Interactive simulations mimic real chats with real clients, partners, and coworkers to improve communication skills and many other types of skills, some of them highly specialized and complex.
For instance, in sales training, role-play simulations let sales personnel practice their pitch skills without the risk of harming customer relationships or losing a deal. So, when sales learners give a wrong answer in the simulated dialogue, they just get asked something different from what they would have been asked had they given the right answer.
Technologies used in immersive training solutions
Immersive training uses VR and AR to create interactive simulations, but it also uses mixed reality (MR) and 360-degree video simulations. So, let’s break down the immersive technologies used in corporate training.
VR, or virtual reality
Of all four, this is the most immersive technology used in immersive training. It consists of a fully digital environment in which characters and objects might resemble real ones, yet only live in the digital world.
For instance, the Society for Human Resource Management, or SHRM, delivers leadership training through VR. And in that training, current and aspiring leaders must navigate a difficult conversation at work and apply empathetic listening techniques while interacting with characters that resemble real employees.
AR, or augmented reality
In simulations delivered through AR, digital elements are overlaid on real-world elements (people or objects from the physical world), allowing real-world environments to be augmented with valuable additional information.
To give you an example, when teaching nursing students to draw blood from patients, AR can overlay an image of the underlying veins on a patient’s hand or arm to help the student visualize the right place to puncture.
MR, or mixed reality
This technology is similar to AR, yet in MR simulations, the learner, who exists in the physical world, can interact with the overlaid digital elements. Consequently, the digital elements get input from the physical world and change accordingly.
Example: Microsoft HoloLens can be used to deliver on-the-job training in a mixed environment. Employees execute tasks in the real world while the technology guides them through the process by overlaying images with instructions on physical objects.
360-degree video simulations
These are simulations of real-world situations that have been pre-recorded as 360-degree videos suitable for VR equipment.
For instance, Oxford Medical Education relies on 360-degree video simulations to train doctors and medical students. Simulations of cardiac arrests allow learners to absorb medical knowledge without putting real patients at risk.
Benefits of immersive training solutions
Accenture concluded that immersive training improves knowledge retention rates by 15%. But that’s just one of the benefits of immersive training solutions.
Increased learner engagement
Immersive environments wrap learners in the virtual environment, which reduces distractions and raises attention levels, particularly in VR or MR training, as these require the use of VR headsets. Besides, immersive environments are interactive, which, in a corporate setting, engages employees in the learning experience.
Improved knowledge retention
It’s much easier to retain new knowledge and apply new skills and behavior to real work situations if the training is interactive and resembles the real world.
Scalabe and Cost-effective
Immersive training solutions are especially suited for global teams or businesses expanding worldwide. Plus, they’re cost-effective.
Take the example of role-play simulations delivered through VR. They’re available online and automated, which makes them scalable and allows the training of numerous staff members simultaneously, anytime, anywhere.
Safety
Immersive learning environments are risk-free and perfect for practicing medical procedures or dangerous tasks in manufacturing, construction, or defense. Learners explore difficult situations in a controlled environment and don’t harm the business or jeopardize their workplace relationships, their safety, or the safety of others.
Accessible
Immersive training can be designed with accessibility in mind, ensuring that all employees—regardless of physical ability, learning style, or neurodiversity—can participate fully. Features like adjustable text size, voiceover options, alternative input methods, and inclusive avatar representation help make the learning experience usable and engaging for everyone. This kind of thoughtful design supports equity and inclusivity in workplace training initiatives.
Real-world applications of immersive training solutions
Multiple industries use VR, MR, and AR in online learning and on-the-job training programs.
Healthcare
Physical therapy students can learn to locate the bones in the human body with AR tablet apps. Student clinicians may witness how doctors and nurses execute advanced life support maneuvers by watching 360-degree video simulations. And surgery students can practice hard skills with MR simulations of surgeries.
Take the case of the dermatological pharmaceutical company Galderma. Using Unity, a motion-based platform for creating real-time 3D experiences, they delivered anatomy training at scale.
In that training, aesthetic dermatologists and other healthcare professionals learn the foundations of facial anatomy using a VR headset and the motion-based platform so they can inject their patients safely and offer the most natural results.
Galderma is a case study of how immersive training solutions allow companies to save money on large-scale training instead of delivering learning experiences to a limited number of people a year at expensive cadaver labs.
Manufacturing and construction
Immersive training solutions are also used to teach manufacturing and construction workers to handle equipment and follow safety protocols.
Skanska, a construction company, delivers safety training to its workers that includes highly realistic VR settings created with Unity. And the workers learn the risks associated with operating construction equipment by taking that training.
In manufacturing, workers use AR headset apps to see repair and maintenance instructions overlaid on factory machines. And that comes in quite handy, as the instructions are overlaid on the parts they must work with.
Corporate training
Immersive technologies are increasingly being used in corporate learning and development (L&D) programs. Companies rely on immersive training not only to onboard new hires but also to build leadership capabilities and strengthen soft skills such as communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution.
But immersive training can also support the development of technical or role-specific hard skills. For example, customer service reps can use VR, AR, or MR to interact with simulated products and troubleshoot commonly reported issues—giving them hands-on experience in a low-risk environment.
Meanwhile, VR roleplaying remains a powerful tool for soft skill development. Team leaders and managers can practice handling difficult conversations with employees who aren’t following company policies, helping them improve their communication, empathy, and coaching techniques.
Sales and product training
When companies use VR and AR for sales and product training, they deliver more than an interactive and engaging experience for sales reps and other personnel.
Instead of using 2D pictures or product specification sheets, they simulate product functioning and offer realistic product views to learners, which, in the case of physical products, would require spending loads of money on building physical prototypes and risking damage to the products while transporting them to training sites or handling them during training.
Immersive technologies also make it easier to learn to use products that are hard to demonstrate or difficult to understand without trying them out, such as brand-new technology or complex machinery.
Military and defense
The military has long leveraged immersive training solutions to prepare personnel for high-stakes scenarios. From tactical mission simulations that replicate complex combat environments using mixed reality (MR) technology to behavioral training for suicide prevention and mental health awareness, these solutions support both strategic readiness and individual resilience.
For example, the Department of Defense (DoD) uses VR-based programs not only to rehearse mission-critical maneuvers but also to train service members in identifying and supporting peers who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts. These scenarios help users practice when and how to intervene, what communication styles to adopt, and how to actively listen with empathy and objectivity.
How to get started with immersive training solutions
Now that you know what the different immersive technologies can do for your company, it’s time to put lessons into practice in your context. And the first step is to evaluate the training needs of your employees.
1. Assess your needs
You know the organizational challenges your company must address. Those are the outcomes you expect to obtain from employee training, ultimately.
The company might need to improve the performance of managers, increase profit, innovate more, acquire more clients, or be more socially responsible. On the other end, the staff has knowledge and skill gaps that you must assess, for instance, with surveys or focus groups.
Together, competence gaps and training outcomes determine the training you must deliver to your workforce. Regardless, you must distinguish between the training that’s appropriate for being immersive and the training that’s not.
Related: How to Conduct a Training Needs Analysis
2. Choose the right technology
For the immersive training that you need to deliver, the next step is to pick the most suitable immersive technology.
Depending on the training topic, the training goals, and the learners’ competency level, the best technology might be VR, AR, MR, or 360-degree video simulations. For instance, role-play simulations delivered through VR are especially suited for customer service, leadership, management, communication, and emotional intelligence training.
AR headset apps are particularly effective in delivering equipment repair and maintenance training to factory workers. And MR simulations are excellent for teaching the military to handle heavy machinery and execute tactical missions.
In healthcare, the most effective technology varies much more. You might teach human anatomy with an AR tablet app, let surgery interns practice laparoscopy with MR simulations, or show med students what a code blue looks like in reality with a 360-degree video simulation.
3. Partner with experts
When it comes to developing immersive training solutions, our best piece of advice is to work with experienced learning experience designers or, for your convenience, a reputable agency.
They’ll do the heavy lifting and come up with a solution that’s visually appealing, easy to use, and aligned with your needs. They’ll also make sure that the solution works and looks as expected.
When you’re ready, visit our immersive training solutions page for personalized guidance and professional support.
Highly engaging training for modern organizations
Immersive training solutions have already started to revolutionize workforce development by raising the bar for interactivity and engagement in L&D programs (without falling short of effectiveness). That’s exactly what the modern employee expects from corporate education.
On top of that, the use of immersive technologies in training is safe, scalable, cost-effective, and retains staff. Employers deliver immersive training to fulfill needs in various industries and topics, from medicine to the military, from safety training to sales training. And learners take immersive training online, anytime, anywhere.
Want to go next? Explore our immersive training solutions and find out how VR and AR can revolutionize your training programs. Contact us today to get started!
