Abstract:

Health and safety training is an essential component of apprenticeship education, particularly in workshop environments where learners interact with machinery, tools and potentially hazardous conditions. Conventional safety training often relies on classroom instruction, written guidelines, or demonstrations that mainly deliver theoretical knowledge. However, these methods may not reflect real workplace complexity, limiting apprentices’ ability to apply safety knowledge in practice. Emerging immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) provide opportunities for experiential learning by enabling learners to recognize hazards and apply safety procedures within simulated environments. This study investigates how immersive learning environments can support the development of practical safety awareness and safety-related decision-making among apprentices. To address this challenge, the research proposes a blended learning framework integrating a Learning Management System (LMS) with VR simulations to support health and safety training in workshop-based apprenticeship programmes. The work forms part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project aimed at developing immersive training solutions for vocational education and industry learning contexts. The approach combines structured online learning with immersive experiential activities designed to reinforce safety awareness and support decision-making within simulated workplace environments.

In the first stage, apprentices engage with health and safety materials delivered through the LMS, introducing concepts related to workplace hazards, risk awareness and the correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). After completing the online phase, learners participate in two VR experiences designed to reinforce practical understanding. In the first activity, learners explore a simulated workshop to identify hazards. In the second, they apply PPE knowledge by selecting and positioning appropriate protective equipment based on identified risks.

To evaluate the framework, a structured pilot evaluation was conducted with Ten apprentices. After completing the LMS learning activities and VR experiences, participants completed a questionnaire including Likert-scale items and open feedback. The evaluation examined learner engagement, motivation, clarity of learning design, cognitive load, user comfort and intention to follow safety procedures. Results indicate strong learner acceptance. Engagement (M=4.4) and motivation (M=4.8) were high, and the learning structure was perceived as clear (M=4.8). Participants reported a very high intention to follow correct PPE procedures (M=5.0), with minimal discomfort (M=4.4) and low cognitive load (M=4.8), indicating the VR activities were manageable. Qualitative feedback indicated that the VR environment helped learners notice details often overlooked in traditional safety training and improved understanding of PPE usage. Some participants reported uncertainty during the hazard identification task, suggesting clearer guidance within the simulation could improve the experience.

Overall, the study demonstrates how VR-based experiential activities can complement online instruction to support practical skill development in vocational education. Despite the small sample size, findings provide preliminary evidence that integrating LMS-based learning `with VR simulations can enhance safety awareness, engagement and decision-making in apprenticeship training.

Keywords:

Virtual Reality in Education, Immersive Learning, Health and Safety Training, Apprenticeship Education, Blended Learning.