Wallace State adds virtual reality training to innovative diesel tech distance learning program

Wallace State Community College on Wednesday announced the launch of an ambitious initiative that will harness the power of virtual reality to train thousands of workers for roles in good-paying, in-demand diesel tech jobs.

Delivered through the college’s popular Diesel by Distance program and built in collaboration with immersive learning startup TRANSFR, the new partnership will expand access to career-relevant training and help thousands of working adults launch careers in the fast-growing industry of diesel technology.

Between its main campus in Hanceville and a satellite campus in Oneonta, Wallace State — serving more than 6,000 students — is one of the largest colleges in the Alabama Community College System.

“As we work to help meet Alabama’s statewide workforce goals and get people into the many skilled trades with unfilled jobs, diesel technology is a key industry facing a serious shortage of talent,” stated Dr. Vicki Karolewics, president of Wallace State Community College.

“Through this next generation approach to technical training, we have an opportunity to meet a pressing need for employers, while getting those in search of work into secure and good-paying jobs,” she continued. “The integration of simulation-based technology into this program is helping to generate new interest in the program and the careers in diesel tech, more broadly.”

Launched in late 2020, Wallace State’s Diesel by Distance program combines self-paced coursework and fully online training that enables students to earn a certificate or degree in diesel technology. Students enrolled in the program can study from anywhere — even on the road, with live feedback and training from instructors—while they participate in paid apprenticeships that allow them to earn while they learn. Through funding from the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, Wallace State will also collaborate with the National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology & Science to recruit and enroll aspiring female technicians, helping them to upskill for good-paying work in an industry in which women are significantly underrepresented.

With the latest initiative, Diesel by Distance will now feature hands-on virtual reality simulations that recreate the working environment of a diesel technician or mechanic. In the simulations, developed by TRANSFR, students learn, practice and master skills that are essential to the construction, manufacture, repair and maintenance of diesel engine vehicles. Because many employers require these technicians to be certified, the program helps to expand career opportunities for workers interested in pursuing diesel technology careers.

Alabama is one of several states facing a shortage of certified diesel technicians and mechanics qualified to service commercial trucks, buses and diesel-powered transportation vehicles used for critical functions such as construction, farming, public transportation and emergency services.

To keep pace with new equipment, changing industry standards and a growing percentage of technicians reaching retirement age, the industry will require approximately 200,000 new technicians and mechanics over the next ten years. According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, employment opportunities in the industry are growing fastest among workers with college-level training. Meanwhile, diesel technology training programs are only producing about 3,500 graduates each year, according to data cited by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence

“The trucking and commercial transportation industry keeps our communities safe, healthy, fed and connected, but none of that is possible without the highly-trained technicians that keep our fleets on the road,” commented Mark Colson, president and CEO of the Alabama Trucking Association. “At a time when the need for skilled diesel techs is growing, the Diesel by Distance program will create the pipeline of well-qualified talent that our industry needs. The use of VR has brought the real-world experience of diesel tech into the classroom, ensuring students can be ready to get to work on day one.”

Through a partnership with the Alabama Trucking Association and a network of other diesel trucking and automotive employers in the states, students participating in Diesel by Distance will receive job placement assistance, ensuring that graduates can smoothly transition directly into good-paying diesel tech jobs after completing their training.

“All skills gaps are local, and what we’ve heard clearly from industry is the need to augment traditional classroom instruction with the first-hand work experience that so often only on-the-job training can offer,” said Bharani Rajakumar, founder and CEO of TRANSFR. “As a true partnership between educators and industry leaders, Diesel by Distance has bridged the gap between work-based learning and classroom instruction, accelerating pathways to good-paying jobs for thousands of workers.”

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn