WILLIAMSBURG, Va. & DES MOINES, Iowa–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Index AR Solutions, a leading creator of digital workforce training, announced a partnership with Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) that will give students access to cutting-edge, field-proven learning materials and ‘help them prepare for a career in services such as MidAmerican Energy.
Under the terms of a team agreement, Index is implementing a comprehensive, multimodal digital curriculum for classroom learning at DMACC that will provide students with the accurate skills and information needed to be employed as an electrical line mechanic. The first-of-its-kind curriculum is available at DMACC’s Ankeny Campus, delivered via tablet to 15 students enrolled in a two-semester course that began Aug. 24.
The materials include 20 Index eBook™ titles that were originally developed in close collaboration with MidAmerican to help train line apprentices. With the e-books, DMACC classroom instructors and students will benefit from nearly 1,000 eBook pages of verified content and 200 instructional videos of actual line mechanics performing work and providing instruction. The videos also highlight the importance of safety and dedication to customer service – with experienced workers sharing wisdom and real-world stories from the field.
Index e-books provide a way to learn and consume information in a way that is more familiar to the next generation of workers. eBooks include digital note-taking tools that enable students to take notes and highlight text for later review. Built-in quizzes and tests allow instructors to track student progress.
The tablets also contain 22 interactive mobile Index apps that use augmented reality (AR), three-dimensional models, and animations to teach students how to identify key parts or perform common tasks, such as how to solve problems of a transformer, step by step. Extensions also walk students through the safety considerations and tools needed for each step and overlay critical information on the component they are studying.
“Municipalities and businesses across the country are struggling to meet workforce development needs,” said Rob Denson, DMACC President. “Our partnership with Index is a unique career and technical education model that provides a proven solution to solving today’s pressing workforce issues.”
Including the Line Mechanic program being deployed at DMACC, Index and MidAmerican have created 13 digital training programs to date. The programs are currently used in classrooms at MidAmerican’s Des Moines training facility. They also proved extremely valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trainers were able to host virtual sessions using comprehensive digital curricula, which then become a reference material for workers outside the classroom.
“Bringing the Line Mechanic training program to DMACC further expands the strategic investments MidAmerican has made in worker education in recent years,” said Chelsea McCracken, Vice President of Safety, Training and Development at MidAmerican. “We appreciate Index and DMACC for their efforts in making this valuable curriculum available in the community college setting.”
In addition to providing training materials and iPads to DMACC administrators, Index is also providing strong, ongoing support to help instructors and students get the most out of the course. Index team members will host on-site “train the trainer” sessions for DMACC instructors. Index is also hosting weekly video conference calls for students over the course of the semester to walk them through each eBook and app.
“The Line Mechanic program we’re offering today was created through a close partnership with MidAmerican, helping them eliminate learning friction and rethink how training happens,” said Dan Arczynski, CEO at Index AR Solutions. “We are excited to now bring this program to DMACC, giving college students access to the same training materials services they use.”
DMACC is the largest and most diverse community college in Iowa. MidAmerican is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A; BRK.B).
About the AR Solutions Index
Index AR Solutions is a US enterprise e-book and augmented reality mobile application provider that creates customized and disposable products that make workers safer, more capable and more productive. Learn more about Index AR Solutions at IndexARSolutions.com.
About Des Moines Area Community College
Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), a public institution serving the educational and career training needs of Iowans, is committed to the lifelong success of its students. DMACC offers 200 programs, certificates and transfer degrees, serving more than 70,000 credit and non-credit students on six campuses and six learning centers. For more information, visit dmacc.edu.