As part of the Future Road Builders interactive pre-apprenticeship program, the Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania (CAWP) in partnership with SimCoach Games have launched three new releases to promote careers in the highway construction trades:
Reinforcers is a rebar tying game where players learn and practice the basic methods for three different types of rebar ties; Excavator lets you practice the skills needed to be a real life machinery operator; Traffic Control is another game that promotes careers in highway construction and educate the public about safely navigating highway construction zones.
The games are available for Android and
iPhone, and can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.
Future Road Builders is a Serious Game that introduces players to highway construction
careers, allowing them to experience what it might be like to work as a
carpenter, cement mason, laborer, heavy equipment operator, and pile or truck
driver.
A virtual tour guides players through eight
major phases of an actual construction project in Western Pennsylvania. As
players progress, they immerse in real highway construction scenarios, getting
a better understanding of the industry and uncovering the skills they will need
for a career in highway construction.
The game tracks players’ progress by
simulating the hours it takes and the amount of money they could earn during an
actual apprenticeship program.
Future Road Builders Background
The CAWP Board of Governors identified a
principal threat to the industry – a future skilled construction workforce
shortage. The industry offers well-paying jobs and opportunities for
advancement, but is often misunderstood by many as being unskilled and a
dead-end career choice.
The 20-member Board of highway construction
industry leaders based in Western Pennsylvania wanted a dynamic recruitment
tool that not only engaged the user, but also presented an unfamiliar career
path in an engaging way.
The result of the Board’s initial idea became Future
Road Builders, a Serious Game that provides exposure to what it is like to
work in the highway construction industry and encourages interested
participants to apply to the various local union heavy and highway
apprenticeship programs.
The developed solution simulates 4 years of a
road and bridge construction project where players gain a general introduction
to the industry and awareness to the six crafts and what types of work they
perform.
Players learn by interacting with a
phase-by-phase progression of a virtual construction project, representative of
an actual highway construction project in Western Pennsylvania.
The player’s goal is to earn 4,000 hours, every
1,000 hours representing one year of apprenticeship. The program also features
mini-games focused on a particular job, which get more challenging with each
earned apprenticeship year.
When 4,000 virtual hours are earned, the
player receives a Certification of Completion, and is ready to apply for one of
several union apprenticeship programs in highway construction!
The program is free to all! Just register online
and you can start making progress in your interactive pre-apprenticeship.