Connect Training Corporate & Hospitality Welcome Pack

Immersion

Studio

INNOVATIVE IMMERSIVE INSPIRING

VIRTUAL REALITY FOR

IMMERSIVE LEARNING Corporate

Education

Health Care

Hospitality

Social Care

What is Immersion Studio?

Introducing the UK’s first virtual reality learning tool, a training aid using computer-generated virtual reality blended with human intelligence.

Innovative

Immersive

Inspiring

Who are Connect Training?

Connect Training is a virtual-reality training company based in Nantwich, founded by former teachers.

The Connect Group was originally started over 25 years ago to ensure that educational resources were accessible for all. Connect Training was the next step in offering innovative training within the education sector to promote inclusion and improve teacher performance.

Immersion Studio, Connect Training’s cutting-edge platform, allows participants to interact in real time with avatars, practising difficult conversations in a safe

environment. This enables them to build confidence and acquire skills which can be transferred to their everyday job roles for improved performance.

Following its initial launch as an aid to teacher training, Immersion Studio has gone on to win multiple awards and is now used in various sectors, enhancing hospitality, corporate and social care and health care training.

At Connect Training we believe that innovation is key and strive to utilise the latest developments in technology to deliver incredible training results.

Optimal Sources of Learning 10% formal learning

70% experiential learning 20% social learning

Immersion Studio is the cutting-edge virtual reality platform where professionals can practise and master the complex interpersonal skills they need in their working lives.

We have environments representing many industry sectors including education, customer service, HR and medical.

“Immersion Studio gives our trainee managers the opportunity to enhance their own professional practice in a safe, risk free yet realistic environment!”

Julia, Learning & Development Manager

Why choose Immersion Studio?

Interactive

Innovative

Immersion Studio is fully interactive, allowing learners to work through strategies and practise skills in a safe, immersive environment.

Immersion Studio is an innovative technology specifically designed to simulate complex, interpersonal scenarios whenever and wherever you are.

Accessible No specialist equipment is required, making it flexible to use in any learning and development setting.

Future-Thinking Reductions in travel time help to reduce carbon footprint.

Figures from an Open University study suggest that eLearning cuts energy consumption by 90% and slashes CO2 by more than 85%

Live Immersion Studio works in real time, giving immediate feedback and allowing the learner to reflect on and review their experiences.

Cost Effective Not only is Immersion Studio highly effective, this training solution can reduce both cost and logistical hurdles associated with the traditional in-person training methods. This offers the perfect solution as more people are moving into a remote working environment.

Learner-Centred Short sessions, using the concept of micro-learning, ensure that learners are empowered to have more control in defining a more flexible learning path.

Increased Engagement

72%

of people felt that they retained more information from immersive role-playing than other teaching methods.

(University Study)

Immersion Studio is ideal for learners short on time and especially appeals to millennial learners who expect immediate results with high impact.

Creative Our wide variety of scenarios cover a range of relevant topics, from mental health awareness and diversity and inclusion to coaching and mentoring. We can also create bespoke scenarios to meet your company’s learning and development objectives.

Great tool to allow “ participants to role play in a

realistic scenario. We were all pleasantly surprised with the ability to understand our industry terminology and approach.

”

Alison Knight, Director of Talent & Leadership Development, Continental Europe Hilton

We believe that digital innovation is “ key to the future of our profession.

We are excited to offer this groundbreaking addition to our already outstanding teacher training and education programmes.

Professor Dr Kate Reynolds, Executive Dean of the Institute for Education

”

Build Options

Executive Office

Customer Service

Corporate Elevator

Corporate Multi-Avatar

Hospitality

Hospitality Lounge

Immersion Studio Scenarios to support success VW - used our scenarios to practice candidate screening and interview techniques for their recruitment training course.

Bourne Leisure - used Immersion Studio scenarios which focused around HR management on their management development programmes.

Coventry University - used scenarios to practice a range of difficult mental health conversations.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service - used Immersion Studio to practice attendance management scenarios as well as coaching conversations on their ‘Step Up’ Programme.

Immersion Studio offers a variety of builds that can be easily switched, allowing participants to interact with a wide range of scenarios within minutes.

We have a wide range of scenarios available including: Coaching & Mentoring Diversity & Inclusion Mental Health Conversations Management & Leadership Interview Skills HR Conversations

Scenario Example 1

TRAINING

Creating an Inclusive Workplace: Three PARTICIPANT BRIEF @iwanttotrainUK

www.ConnectToTraining.co.uk

Participant Brief You are a regional manager. Linda has approached you as she wishes to raise some concerns. She feels that she is being discriminated against because of her age. Linda’s colleagues are generally a lot older than her, and she feels that she is being given much more demanding physical work because she is younger. She is also frequently placed on unsociable shifts, and she feels this is because she doesn’t have any dependent children. Linda states that she has approached her team leader about the issue on several occasions, but that nothing has changed in the last month.

Learning Objectives • Awareness of and ability to explore aspects of own identity and culture.

• Develop self-awareness about own biases, fears, and comfort levels.

• Awareness of the “diverse” dimensions of diversity, including ability, age, ethnicity, gender identity, geographic origin, national origin, race, religion/spiritual traditions, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class.

• Understanding that a true leader values and empowers all staff.

• Communicate effectively, both verbally and non-verbally.

Scenario Example 2

TRAINING

Supporting Colleagues with Mental Health Issues: Two PARTICIPANT BRIEF @iwanttotrainUK

www.ConnectToTraining.co.uk

Participant Brief You are the manager of a team. One of your employees has returned to work following a four-week absence. They were signed off by their GP following a diagnosis of depression and anxiety. You must now have a return-to-work interview with your staff member. They are clearly very nervous about returning to work.

Learning Objectives • Effectively support someone with a suspected or diagnosed mental health condition • Develop skills and techniques to support a team member who may be displaying behaviours associated with mental health conditions • Recognise signs and symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression and how they can manifest in employees at work • Offer a range of reasonable adjustments, options and strategies for supporting an employee who may be stressed or who has a mental health condition • Consider the legislative and policy requirements to manage mental health issues at work in order to be legally compliant • Conduct effective and open conversations with colleagues around mental health issues • De-stigmatise the issue of mental health problems • Gain an understanding of how mental health issues can affect people in the workplace • Communicate with different personality and learning styles • Manage different levels of emotion

Success Story Virtual reality role play revolutionises hospitality staff training Hilton is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 14 world-class brands, comprising more than 5,300 properties with more than 863,000 rooms in 106 countries and territories. Hilton is dedicated to fulfilling its mission to be the world’s most hospitable company by delivering exceptional experiences – every hotel, every guest, every time.

The Challenge As one of the fastest growing hospitality companies, role play training is a key component in maintaining the exceptional standards expected by guests within Hilton. Ensuring consistency across its global network relies on trainers travelling to sites across the globe to deliver bespoke training programmes, resulting in considerable costs.

The Requirements An alternative training solution was required to reduce costs whilst ensuring the consistency and quality of current training programmes was not compromised. Last year alone, Hilton created 20,000 new hotel jobs. Within such a fast-paced environment, the solution had to meet the needs of the EMEA initiative whilst having an option to upscale to reach a wider audience.

In order to maintain the exceptional standards required at Hilton, the new solution needed to deliver consistent messaging and bespoke content resulting in the highest calibre of employees and management.

Immersion Studio Solution As the UK’s first virtual reality training tool, the platform provides the perfect environment to support professional development in the workplace.

Participants are able to master complex interpersonal skills and practise a variety of scenarios to transform their performance.

Immersion Studio is able to support the Talent and Leadership Development team at Hilton by delivering bespoke live scenarios. All the interactions are live, with simulators operating the avatars in real time. This allows trainees to see the immediate effects of their actions and test different approaches in handling situations.

As Immersion Studio is an online platform that requires no investment in software.

The tool makes learning and development accessible on a global level without incurring the additional costs associated with traditional role play trainers travelling to individual sites.

Customer Service Training Immersion Studio provides immersive learning opportunities for front-line staff in retail, hospitality and other sectors that require exceptional customer service.

In a scenario, front-desk hotel staff can practise how to effectively handle challenging customers in a friendly, helpful and efficient manner.

“I have often had to deal with stressful situations regarding customers, and I wish I had this form of training from the beginning so I could practise my responses.”

Jess, Sales Assistant

79% of people will AVOID a brand or company if they have received poor service in the past.

(Sky News)

Human Resources and Leadership Training Conducting performance reviews, improvement interventions and other hard-to-teach leadership skills can easily be rehearsed in Immersion Studio’s realistic simulator.

Multi-avatar environments are available to allow trainees to fine-tune their skills in various situations ranging from facilitating team meetings to managing interpersonal conflicts.

“It’s great to have the safety net of practising situations that I know I will have to face in the real working world. I especially like that I can pause and review!”

Aled, HR Executive

1 in 3 managers are falling BELOW employee expectations in delivering feedback. (trainingmag.com)

TRAINING Connect Training, Alvaston Lodge, Alvaston Business Park, Middlewich Road, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 6PF. Call us on: +44 (0) 1270 449 165 Email us at: hello@ConnectToTraining.co.uk Visit us at: https://www.connecttotraining.co.uk/ Copyright © 2021 Connect.