VR and simulation training for skilled trades and technicians

Last updated October 21, 2026

Simulators and VR courses that train welders, pipefitters, electricians and maintenance technicians for employers, colleges and workforce programs.

This guide lists 9 providers of immersive skilled trades and workforce training, in alphabetical order: Heartwood, Interplay Learning, Lincoln Electric, Miller Electric, Moth+Flame, Realityworks, Seabery, Transfr and VRSim. The order is not a ranking. Each provider is described with the same fields, from its own materials and public records, with sources.

1. Questions buyers ask

2. Overview

Immersive training for the trades includes welding simulators that use virtual or augmented reality, VR spray-painting trainers, and 3D or VR course libraries for HVAC, electrical, plumbing and maintenance work. Buyers include high school career programs, community and technical colleges, adult retraining and workforce development programs.

Some products are hardware stations with tracked torches or spray guns; others are software catalogs that run on a computer, phone, tablet or VR headset. Some report technique measures, such as work and travel angles and travel speed, to instructors.

The problem

Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute estimated in 2024 that U.S. manufacturing could need as many as 3.8 million additional workers from 2024 to 2033, and that 1.9 million of those jobs could go unfilled if workforce challenges are not addressed.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 72,700 electrician openings and about 40,300 welder, cutter, solderer and brazer openings a year from 2025 to 2035, mostly to replace workers who change occupations or retire.

Mandates and programs

• Registered Apprenticeship (National Apprenticeship Act). The Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship oversees Registered Apprenticeship under the National Apprenticeship Act, with equal opportunity rules in 29 CFR Part 30. Most electricians learn through apprenticeships of four to five years combining paid on-the-job hours and technical instruction.
• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). WIOA, signed July 22, 2014, is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training and support services, and to match employers with skilled workers, according to the Department of Labor.
• Perkins V (Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act). Perkins V, signed July 31, 2018, reauthorized federal support for career and technical education, aiming to expand students' access to CTE programs of study and credentials, according to the Department of Education.

3. Providers compared

Every provider below is described with the same fields and the same length limits, from its own published materials and public records. Where a provider does not publish something, the entry says “Not published.” Providers are in alphabetical order.

4. What to ask a vendor

1. Which processes, joints and positions does the simulator cover, and do they match our curriculum? Welding simulators differ in the processes and joint types they support, so coverage should be checked against the program's qualification path.
2. What technique measures are scored, and can instructors see and export them? Some simulators report work and travel angle, speed and distance per weld; knowing what is captured shows whether data can support grading.
3. How does simulated practice connect to live practice and credentials such as NCCER or EPA 608? Vendors map content to different credential bodies, and practice still has to lead into live work and recognized certification.
4. What hardware is required, and is it included, leased or bought separately? Some offerings bundle stations and helmets; others are subscriptions that require separately bought headsets or computers.
5. Does it run without an internet connection, and how are updates and licenses handled? Shops and remote training sites may have limited connectivity, and licensing terms vary between subscription and perpetual models.
6. Can content be customized to our equipment and procedures? Maintenance training often depends on specific machines, which off-the-shelf catalogs may not include.
7. Is content available in Spanish or other languages our learners need? Workforce programs often serve multilingual learners, and language support varies by product.
8. Which comparable programs use it, and can we speak with them? References from similar colleges, unions or employers show how the product works in day-to-day instruction.

5. How buying works

Public schools, colleges and government buyers can sometimes buy through cooperative purchasing contracts; OMNIA Partners, for example, lists a trades training supplier available to K-12, higher education, government and nonprofit buyers.

Welding simulators are often sold through equipment distributors; federal records show a Bureau of Prisons vocational program ordering one from a distributor under a GSA schedule contract.

Some software-based VR training is sold as a software license, with headsets acquired separately.

For SBIR, GSA schedules, OTAs and other routes in general, see How buying works.

6. More questions