Technology developed by Work Window, a leading Brisbane-based innovator in virtual reality (VR) is now helping to captivate Queensland students to showcase careers in the tourism industry.
In 2023, Advance Queensland and the Department of Tourism and Sport issued a challenge as part of the Private Sector Pathways program to unearth products to assist the Tourism Department’s Young Tourism Leaders in inspiring young people to consider a career in tourism.
Work Window were successful at pitching the development of a range of VR experiences to showcase a day in the life of working in tourism.
The product was launched in April and showcased at a careers expo at Aviation High in Brisbane. Students donned VR headsets and embarked upon a range of virtual experiences including stepping into the shoes of a chef in the busy kitchen of the Emporium Hotel or exploring the Great Barrier Reef as a marine tour guide.
The opportunity for students to experience firsthand the sights, sounds, and realities of different jobs, fostering informed career choices, as well as providing the opportunity to ask questions of people already in tourism roles were a highlight.
Falqin, a student from Aviation High said “It was very helpful as I could ask questions. It was a lovely insight into what the job actually was”.
Work Window filmed a range of tourism job roles from across Queensland as part of their solution to enhance student engagement during career expos and in classrooms at schools.
Innovation that Captivates
"Ultimately, it is so hard to get students from the school into workplaces, so to get that understanding of what the career path looks like. This is a way that we can capture that experience, and then bring it back into the school so they can explore their options more effectively,” said Cameron Martin, Co-Founder of Work Window.
The success at Aviation High is just the beginning for Work Window.
"Collaborating with the department and Advance Queensland has been amazing. Not just for the project alone, but the broader impact on our business to be able to add more content to our library. This adds to the long-term usability to support our customers moving forward. ," said Cameron.
A Bright Future for Tourism
The Young Tourism Leaders were excited about the technology and its potential impact on showcasing the diverse, exciting careers which the tourism industry offers.
“The headsets are helping to draw a lot of attention to the industry and to the table, and we can chat to the students more about what the industry is all about,” Young Tourism Leader, Julia Wardle said.
About Private Sector Pathways
Discover more about the Private Sector Pathways program which aims to solve corporates challenges with solutions generated by innovative Queensland SMEs and scaleups.
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