When I met up with Ryan Leonhardt of Transfr VR for this month’s cover story on eLearning, he brought show-and-tell accessories. In fact, he generously let me borrow an Oculus loaded with Transfr’s career exploration software so I could do a little research. My research assistant, who in this case was my 11-year-old son, was enthralled. He completed three oil changes in cyberspace without likely even realizing he was learning a valuable career skill.
And while many of the lessons of this month’s cover story are that yes, we need to embrace educational technology to reach younger generations, it is almost all of us who learn better by doing. The science is behind this, and it’s exactly what things like AR, VR and interactive video trainings facilitate. While the process of digitizing knowledge that is currently confined to a chunky binder — or worse yet, the head of a single veteran employee — may seem daunting, I encourage you to read this month’s cover story and think about steps you can take to make information more accessible going forward. Turn to page 9 to learn more.
Also in this issue, Amelia Compton Wolff unpacks the practical applications and implications of the CHIPS Act for Northeast Wisconsin manufacturers (turn to page 14), Sargento’s Anne Troka highlights her company’s unique talent strategy of creating an alumni network (page 16), and I meet a pair of Sheboygan inventors whose passion for recycling led to an innovation that is transforming warehouses and shop floors (page 19).
We can all learn from one another — which is exactly what this publication is all about. I certainly learned more than a few things in this issue; I hope you do, too!
