SafeLab: Virtual process training for chemical and manufacturing industries

The UK manufacturing and chemical sectors face a growing shortage of skilled workers in laboratory and process operations, with demand expected to rise significantly over the coming years. Training routes into these roles are often expensive, difficult to access and limited in scope, with physical lab-based training costing up to thousands per day and offering few opportunities to practise complex or hazardous scenarios safely. For adult learners entering Industry 4.0 roles, this creates a barrier to building confidence and competence, while also limiting opportunities to practise critical tasks in safe, repeatable environments. As a result, employers struggle to develop the workforce they need at scale.

This project will develop a virtual laboratory training platform for adult vocational learners, adapted from an existing product used in schools. It will create industry-relevant modules that simulate laboratory and process tasks, including high-risk scenarios that cannot be replicated in real-world settings. The platform will use interactive simulations to model equipment, environments and procedures, allowing learners to complete tasks step by step. It will assess learner performance in real time, evaluating technique, safety compliance and decision making against vocational standards.

This approach could reduce the cost and barriers associated with lab-based training, enabling more learners to access high-quality practice environments. It could allow learners to build confidence and competence by safely repeating complex and hazardous tasks before entering the workplace. At scale, this could help employers develop job-ready workers more quickly, supporting workforce growth in manufacturing and chemical sectors.