Winners of Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards were announced today and Transfr’s VR Workforce Training was named the 2024 “Best World-Changing Idea, North America,” while also receiving honorable mention in the education category.
From solar-powered fridges to 3D-printed living seawalls, Transfr was recognized alongside 50 inspiring solutions to the most daunting challenges of today across climate, social justice, wellness, politics, technology, corporate social responsibility, and more.
It’s an honor to be recognized for our world-changing mission: providing access to classroom-to-career pathways to more people through technology solutions. This is critical for bringing opportunity to underserved communities, developing cost-effective training alternatives, and giving employers the trained workforce needed for economic development.
Innovations Driving Change
We’ve made incredible strides in forging classroom-to-career pathways over the past year.
TRIO Electric Partnership: We partnered with TRIO Electric, an electrical design, service, and construction company, to address the growing electrician shortage in the US. TRIO Electric used Transfr’s VR simulations to enhance its training programs and reduce resource consumption. Thanks to Transfr, TRIO has served 292 unique trainees across 11 sites, with a total of 3,674 simulations completed, while also reducing the company’s environmental footprint by minimizing the use of consumable training materials like wire and conduit.
Launch of Virtual Healthcare Clinic: Transfr launched a new Virtual Healthcare Clinic with simulations designed to equip learners with the foundational knowledge and skills to prepare them for apprenticeships and jobs in the healthcare industry, which is facing a nationwide shortage of qualified workers. Our innovative approach enables trainees to perform hands-on training with the assistance of a digital coach, all in a fully immersive, 360-degree environment that is entirely risk-free.
Career Exploration: In August, we launched an updated VR Career Exploration experience, offering four times as many industries for students to explore which roles and industries fit their interests and skills. Equipped with this understanding, students can then work with counselors and instructors to construct their personal training pathways to a fulfilling professional career in a field with upward mobility and growth potential.
BGCA Partnership: We’ve also teamed up with the Jim Kelley Career Pathway Center of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne to facilitate career exploration and skills training for juvenile offenders in the Indiana Juvenile Justice System. Leveraging Transfr’s virtual reality technology for simulated training, the program allows students to explore potential career pathways and learn a number of key skills to prepare them to successfully enter the workforce and have a sustainable and fulfilling career upon their re-entry to society. Since partnering with Transfr, BGCA has trained over 750 students at 142 BGCA locations across 28 states, totaling more than 4,440 simulations completed.
Fueling Innovation Through Collaboration
Transfr’s commitment extends beyond our own proprietary solutions. Last year, we launched a software development kit (SDK) that will enable the broader developer and 3D design community to create new training simulations on the Transfr platform and contribute to the future of education.
Our journey over the past year has been nothing short of remarkable as we’ve relentlessly pursued our mission of bridging the gap between classrooms and careers. From forging impactful partnerships that tackle talent shortages across industries to highlighting a path for justice-impacted youth to enter the workforce, each step has been guided by our unwavering commitment to empowering individuals with the skills they need to succeed.
Today, Transfr is deployed in over 1,000 locations nationwide, including community colleges, trade schools, employers, prisons, and K-12 schools, and we’ve increased our user base by 10x over the last year alone. Together, we are not only changing lives but also reshaping the landscape of education and workforce development for generations to come.