Article by Lyndsay Perkins, Clay10 Creative
Technical training is often difficult to deliver consistently.
Whether it is a manufacturing process, a medical procedure, or the operation of specialist equipment, there are times when people need to learn by doing.
But in many environments, doing is not always simple.
Machinery may be in constant use. Procedures may involve safety-critical steps. Equipment may be too large, expensive or impractical to transport to different locations. And for new starters, there can be a lot to absorb before they are ready to work confidently in a real-world setting.
That is where virtual reality can make a real difference.
The challenge
Clay10 was asked to develop a VR induction and refresher training experience for Reckitt, focused on supporting employees with practical, process-led training.
The initial module centred on a stick machine used within a manufacturing line, specifically the task of changing a roll of foil.
This process involves a clear sequence of actions, safety checks and confirmations. For new employees, it is important that each step is understood properly before they carry out the task on the line. For existing employees, refresher training helps reinforce best practice, reduce errors and support consistency across teams.
The challenge was not just to recreate the task in VR. It was to make the experience useful, repeatable and easy to follow.
Our approach
We designed the experience around how people learn practical tasks in real working environments.
The user enters the VR training space through a dashboard, giving them a clear view of their progress, completed modules, current training, previous scores and any refreshers due.
From there, they can continue into the stick machine module and work through the foil-change process step by step.
The experience was structured to support:
- induction training for new employees
- refresher training for existing employees
- step-by-step practice in a safe environment
- feedback on missed actions or common mistakes
- clearer visibility of training progress and competency
This makes the training more than a one-off experience. It becomes a repeatable learning tool.
The solution
The VR module allows employees to practise a real operational task without interrupting production or putting people, equipment or materials at unnecessary risk.
By recreating the machine environment virtually, users can build confidence, understand the order of actions and receive feedback before applying the process on the factory floor.
The same approach can be applied far beyond manufacturing.
For healthcare and life sciences, VR can help demonstrate medical procedures, support clinical training, explain the use of specialist devices, or bring complex equipment into a room without physically transporting it.
It can also be used to showcase new machinery or technology in remote locations, giving teams, buyers or trainees a realistic understanding of how something works without needing access to the physical product.
Why it matters
VR is particularly valuable when the thing being explained is practical, technical or difficult to access.
It allows people to see, repeat and understand a process in a way that is often hard to achieve through documents, video or traditional presentation methods alone.
For induction and refresher training, it can improve consistency, support safer learning and give organisations a clearer way to track progress.
For medical and healthcare innovation, it offers a powerful way to make complex procedures, devices and machinery easier to understand, wherever the audience is based.
When people can experience how something works, they are more likely to remember it, apply it correctly and feel confident using it in practice.
Find out more: clay10health.com
Watch the video: https://vimeo.com/1212412117/742fafd94f?fl=ls&fe=ec
