Severn Trent Case Study - Training in VR
Highlights
- Severn Trent used VirtualSpeech for presentation skills practice
- Saved the equivalent of 116 hours of training time and associated cost
- Used as part of the initiative to get 100,000 people back into work across 10 years
- Helped Severn Trent to be named in the first-ever Social Mobility Employer Index
Customer Introduction
Severn Trent are one of Britain's largest water companies. They provide over eight million people with fresh, clean drinking water every day. With a commitment to environmental responsibility, they also focus on safely treating and returning water to the environment after its use.
The Goal
For some time, Severn Trent has been delivering training on presentation skills to its employees. However, before Virtual Speech the only way people could put their new skills into practice was through a face-to-face presentation to the rest of the group.
The Solution
To enhance the learning experience and provide a comfortable yet realistic environment for practicing presentation skills, Severn Trent sought a solution in virtual reality (VR). They recognized the immersive and multi-sensory aspects of VR as valuable tools to create memorable learning experiences.
After evaluating various options, they chose VirtualSpeech as their preferred platform due to its diverse and lifelike scenarios, which included TEDx-style theaters, lecture rooms, and small meeting rooms.
The platform's live feedback prompts on elements like eye contact and pace during presentations, along with the ability to upload slides for practice, were particularly appealing.
Results and Benefits
The implementation of VirtualSpeech brought significant benefits and positive results for Severn Trent. Employees embraced the virtual training experience, finding it enjoyable, engaging, and thrilling.
Having the opportunity to practice presentations in various scenarios and receive live feedback on their performance proved highly valuable. They gained new insights into their use of eye contact, pace, and filler words, which are not readily apparent in front of a live audience.
Using VirtualSpeech created a real buzz and excitement around their training initiatives. The courses are all fully booked, and they've had to arrange more sessions to cater for the demand. Besides, the learner satisfaction scores for the course increased considerably.
Employees appreciated that the use of VR and AI feedback provided a secure and effective way to improve their presentation skills, especially the softer skills that are not solely derived from the presentation materials.
Additional Comments
"We would definitely recommend VirtualSpeech, it is easy to use and the team are very helpful and quick to answer any questions we have. We love working with VirtualSpeech."
"There is so much available from VirtualSpeech and they are constantly adding new and exciting features. We will be using VR in more of our courses and learning experiences in the future."
"We use the Virtual Reality scenarios on our training courses on Presenting, Personal Brand and Career Development. Our colleagues tell us they love the opportunity to practice presentations in realistic life-like situations before presenting in person. They've also loved the opportunity to practice job interviews in VR before the real thing. It’s definitely added fun, boosted engaged and grown our colleagues confidence on our sessions. It’s really taken our learning to the next level."
In June 2023, Severn Trent leveraged Virtual Reality at a large-scale jobs fair in East Birmingham, using VirtualSpeech, to help hundreds of unemployed individuals prepare for employment opportunities. Check out the details here.