How Young Game Enthusiasts Are Already on the Job
When it comes to skills-based mobile gaming, the factors of self-measurement, competition, pacing, and flexibility listed in our previous post help to engage players and accurately measure their progress, but where can that gameplay actually get them? This post will explain the direct workforce application of video games and how they’re preparing Gen Z for a professional future.
Video games and professional technology
Did you know that single-player controls and gameplay often resemble the technology encountered by the modern professional? A studentâs proficiency in tech and their familiarity with video games can actually prepare them to command the technology found in many industries, from advanced manufacturing to construction. Working robotics or operating machinery are tasks that tend to come naturally to Gen Z, who have had some kind of device in their hand for over a decade.
âConstruction work involves high-tech skill,â says Dr. Mittie Cannon, founder of the nonprofit Power UP Loud, a construction training program for young women. She saw the connection between games and trades skills andâfor over five years nowâhas used video game technology to introduce women to construction. And developers are right there with her. For example, the Building Information Modeling software CtrlWiz is made to function with an Xbox controller, meaning that the commands and movements are intuitive to a gamer and the program itself is more appealing to Gen Z.
Meanwhile, Debbie Dickinson of Crane Industry Services has noticed that âpeople who are comfortable with video games are very comfortable with âĶ simulation technology,â according to an article by Construction Dive. Many young users of the crane simulation system feel at home with the familiar features of joysticks and foot pedals, thanks to their past engagement with the physical components of video games.
The same can be said for students trying out the VRTEX 360 welding simulator. It familiarizes people with the skilled trade of welding through virtual reality in a game-like space. If students have used a VR headset beforeâor if theyâre comfortable with the concept of oneâthen theyâve opened up an entire world of training simulation for themselves.Â
In general, industries have âincreased [the] adoption of digital solutions,â meaning that jobs and training are resembling video games more and more. Barbara Humpton, President and CEO of Siemens Corporation, speaks to this in a recording of the 2021 U.S. Chamber of Commerceâs Talent Forward event: âThe tools of engineering are becoming very interactive, âĶ so the skills we develop as we play games today âĶ translate directly into the kind of work that needs to be done in the engineering framework of the future.”
Professions and video game technology
Even the style of the modern workplace is trending toward a video game experience that might feel second-nature to players.
Undoubtedly, the ability to work with othersâespecially when theyâre not in the same room as youâis a prized skill in todayâs job market. A GamesBeat article by Demian Entrekin of Bluescape, solutions for hybrid teams, compares a hybrid work environment to a single-player focus in a multiplayer game. Entrekin elaborates, âThe online world of video games is a shared world. While you have the ability to act independently, your actions will impact other players.â He explains that the beauty of many games is that every player works with the same information and commands in the same digital spaceâinstead of battling the âarmy of disjointed toolsâ that many companies have mandated for use in the past.
The rise of remote work has revealed the truth: if employers want their teams to be productive and collaborative, they need to ensure that everyone has easy digital access to the same information, which is a feat made simpler when thereâs a universal toolset and a dedicated virtual space for it all (just like in a video game).
âThe future of work will be more like this shared virtual world where silos are a thing of the past,â Entrekin says. âThe difference will be tools built with a virtual world mindset. âĶ When access to information and the capability to share that information is instantaneous, weâre closer to a video game where sharing and collaboration is as easy as one click of a button.â Entrekin points to Minecraft as a perfect example of a game-turned-digital-tool, as it allows students and teachers to âcome togetherâ to learn and create with shared building blocks (literally). More and more will education and occupations integrate digital collaborative technologies, and while this natural development might trip up some people, those who play video games will be able to take both the style of work and the virtual tools in stride.
Ahead of the game
As the Siemens Corporation President and CEO says, âEncourage your kids to play video games!â From workforce training, to on-the-job technology, to the very nature of the workplace, video games are being emulated on every professional level. This means that players really are ahead of the game, exercising relevant skills and practicing new technologies every week.
How do you see video game technology being used in the workplace?