Learners Live

Google and Siemens Invest in Electrical Training to Support Future Infrastructure Needs by Tom Zind

Google and Siemens are investing heavily in electrical training programs to combat a looming shortage of skilled electrical workers. Key Takeaways:

  • Google plans to fund training for 130,000 total electrical workers and apprentices, leveraging AI and virtual reality to modernize education.
  • Siemens aims to add 200,000 electricians and manufacturing experts by 2030 through expanded partnerships and digital training tools.
  • Both companies emphasize the critical role of industry collaboration and innovative training methods to address future workforce shortages.
  • These efforts highlight a proactive approach to workforce development in response to industry growth and technological advancements.

Google and Siemens Invest in Electrical Training to Support Future Infrastructure Needs | EC&M

XR Training: How Extended Reality Supercharges Brain-Based Learning

In today’s fast-paced digital workplace, organizations are searching for more effective ways to skill and reskill their workforces. Extended reality (XR), which encompasses Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Augmented Reality (AR), offers an immersive and highly effective alternative. These XR technologies are not just more engaging—they also work in harmony with how the human brain learns best. Neuroscience shows that experiential learning—learning by doing—activates multiple regions of the brain at once. XR places learners in a simulated environment that mimics real-life scenarios, tapping into the brain’s natural mechanisms for spatial and sensory learning. This immersive context not only minimizes distractions but also enhances focus and recall through contextual cues that the brain retains as lived experiences. XR Training: How Extended Reality Enhances Brain-Based Learning

NEMA Launches Career Development Platform to Power the Electroindustry Workforce of the Future

 NEMA announced NEMA Academy, a dynamic new online learning platform designed to strengthen technical training and workforce development across the electroindustry.  The future of manufacturing demands a workforce skilled in robotics, AI, digital tools, and industrial automation, and NEMA Academy is designed to meet that need. Built for professionals at every stage of their careers, the platform provides access to more than 1,400 education and certification opportunities in multiple languages. Courses span a range of topics, including NEMA standards, policy issues, supply chain resilience, emergency preparedness, lighting, and more. With new content added regularly, NEMA also is working with Congress to advance comprehensive workforce development legislation to ensure long-term support for the electrical industry’s workforce. The bipartisan Veterans Energy Transition (VET) Actwill help match veterans with a range of technical and operational skills with the manufacturers of critical electrical equipment and components.  NEMA Launches Career Development Platform To Power the Electroindustry Workforce of the Future – NEMA

University of Colorado Boulder – Professional Lighting Education

The University of Colorado Boulder is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2025 Rocky Mountain Lighting Academy (RMLA) Short Course. This four-day course will be held on the beautiful CU campus in Boulder from May 29 through June 1, 2025. General sessions cover lighting and design fundamentals along with the latest developments in technology, color, and health. Technical Track students dive deeper into photometry, optics, and luminaire design while Design Track students gain practical experience with the early stages of the design process, including developing design concepts and goals. The course emphasizes hands-on learning experiences, and the class size is limited to ensure a fun, interactive experience. Further details and registration information can be found on the program’s website. For more information, please contact Bob Davis, Scholar in Residence and Director of Professional Lighting Education, davisrg@colorado.edu

Telling Time – 12-hour time is a very ancient system that traces back to the Mesopotamian empires. They had a cultural fixation with the number 12, used a base-12 numerical system, and divided up most things into 12ths whenever possible – including day and night. The 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night system spread throughout Europe and the Middle East and has defied multiple attempts to change it over the centuries. Also, for anyone curious as to why there was such a love of the number 12, it was because that was how they counted on their hand. Look at your hand. Notice how each of your fingers minus your thumb has three easily identifiable parts to it. They used to count by using their thumb to count each part of the finger, much in the same way we count to 10 using our fingers today. So, 12 was the max you could count on one hand.