For substation technician apprentices, it used to be that key skills and best practices could only be learned through hands-on training. But thanks to a digital curriculum of eBooks and mobile apps being created by Index AR Solutions, major utilities like MidAmerican Energy are enabling workers to visually explore substation equipment anytime and anywhere.

An article in the February 2022 issue of T&D World magazine explored how MidAmerican partnered with Index to help create a digital training curriculum featuring a combination of animations, augmented reality (AR), 3D modeling and videos. Delivered via eBooks and apps on a tablet, the multimedia-rich package allows workers to visualize substation components and complex tasks, providing a valuable supplement to classroom training.

The article explained how apprentices use the new training material to learn a variety of tasks, such as relay testing and troubleshooting, how to properly use a multimeter and setting up work boundaries. The materials also reinforce “soft” skills such as the company’s Human Performance Improvement (HPI) tools and important safety rules.

Because the tools are multimodal – with video, animations, photos and text – apprentices can learn in the format that works best for them, and knowledge retention is significantly increased over traditional methods. The digital curriculum is highly mobile, allowing apprenticeship training to continue despite work modifications instituted during the global pandemic.  This helps prevent apprentices from falling behind and ensures staffing levels remain sufficient.

The eBooks and mobile apps that comprise the substation apprenticeship digital curriculum are now available for purchase by other utilities, with pricing and terms based on a co-marketing agreement between MidAmerican and Index. Curriculums for gas welders, gas technicians, electric meter technicians are also available, with solutions for line mechanics, gas meter and control apprentices and others in development. To learn more, visit the Index website.

Click here to read the full T&D World article.