Young Adult Talent Leaders: From VR Skepticism to Innovation

Innovative technologies like virtual reality (VR) hold immense potential for helping young people build the skills they need to succeed in the workforce. But many practitioners remain skeptical—can VR truly deliver meaningful outcomes for young adults who have faced barriers to success in traditional education and training programs?  

At a recent meeting of the Young Adult Talent Development (YATD) Network, a network of 50-plus organizations and practitioners working to train and place young adults into quality jobs, leaders explored answers to this question. While some had utilized VR technology to offer occupational, or “hard skills,” training to young people, the introduction of the Skill Immersion Lab (SIL) offered a new perspective: What if VR could be used to foster essential human skills like communication, collaboration, and problem solving?  

A program established by SAP and Jobs for the Future (JFF), SIL was designed to strengthen in-demand, uniquely human skills through virtual reality training in classrooms. To date, SIL has trained 875 learners at 14 sites across eight states, collaborating with educators to address concerns and challenges and unlock VR’s full potential.

At the meeting, leaders who were initially skeptical engaged deeply with VR’s potential through hands-on activities, discussions, and a design challenge where they built their own VR prototypes. As they interacted with the technology and exchanged insights, their skepticism gradually shifted to curiosity and excitement about how VR could enhance workforce training programs, sparking rich conversations about the role of technology in skill development, accessibility, and human-centered learning approaches. Below are some key takeaways and testimonials from these discussions on how innovative technologies can improve outcomes for youth and young adults.

How Does VR Create a Safe Space for Failure?

YATD Network members were interested in the potential for VR and immersive technology to create psychologically safe environments. Specifically, the practitioners identified that the young people they work with are often in high-stakes situations where real or perceived failure has tangible negative consequences. Creating opportunities where young people are safely “free to fail” and learn from those mistakes could add value to the practitioners’ work by better supporting the learning arc in acquiring and practicing human skills.  

Can VR Help Expand Access to Workforce Training?

While the network members shared concerns about parity in access to new technology for the populations they serve, they also saw potential for VR to expand the reach of human skills training. Innovative technology could better reach rural populations and address barriers that often hinder access to high-quality training, including transportation, scheduling, and staff capacity. Practitioners were also impressed by the co-design capability embedded in the SIL model. Creating VR modules that directly complement program curricula and even incorporating young people’s ideas can complement the customized nature of much of the work YATD Network members do.  

How Can VR Tools Support Varied Learning Needs?

Many young people served by YATD Network member organizations have needs that they may have felt weren’t well met in a “traditional” school setting. Meeting attendees called out the potential for psychological safety, as well as the possibilities for customization—both in module design and how the tech is integrated into the curriculum—as opportunities to better meet the needs of a group of learners from different backgrounds. 

How Can Technology Complement Human Instruction?

Many practitioners spoke repeatedly about the need for humans to teach and reinforce human skills. They were impressed by the reports of increased connection for participants in SIL, but network members still raised concerns about relying too much on tech and less on humans. That said, some members told us they don’t consider the use of technology a zero-sum game. For these practitioners, technology like VR can be a both/and option—it’s a supplemental tool that doesn’t need to take away from the power and importance of human-to-human interaction. Program leads and other practitioners can design the most impactful strategy for using these tools, and layering VR training modules with coaching, classroom learning, and peer sharing can amplify their benefits.   

How Can VR Be Designed to Truly Serve Young Learners?

While hearing from SIL participants through the portal, learning about immersive technology and its many applications, and even designing a VR prototype sparked excitement, meeting attendees also expressed real concern about students being left behind who already face barriers to entry in educational spaces. To address these concerns, this group of young adult leaders and advocates could empower young adults to lead the design of innovative technologies that complement training curricula. At the center of the network is the call for narrative change and young adult voice and perspective. The adoption of a customizable technology, such as SIL, could ensure organizations can uphold this priority.  

What’s Next? Investing in the Future of Learning

The YATD Network meeting left participants recharged by peer-to-peer learning and inspired by VR’s potential for training the 5 million young people their network serves. However, realizing this potential requires further investment. We need more resources to expand reach, address disparities in access, integrate youth perspectives and ideas, and explore how VR can best complement human-centered interventions. YATD Network members are already putting in the work to innovate and test solutions, and we invite you to join us.

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