A PNL Student Test Virtual Reality Training at Unipart UK

Muhammad Fajar Al Fath, a student at Lhokseumawe State Polytechnic (PNL) who was awarded a scholarship through the Vocational version of the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMAVO) program, had the chance to do an internship at Unipart Logistics in England; He has been there for four months, and there are still two months of training left.

Fajar, also known as Al Fath, was accompanied by Prof. Benny Tjahjono, Professor of Sustainability and Supply Chain Management, Center for Business in Society (CBiS) (https://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/areas-of-research/business-in-society/), in the internship program provided by Coventry University through IISMAVO Scheme A. One of Coventry's top research institutions, CBiS has a strong industrial network that enables Indonesian students to access internship opportunities.

Fajar's internship project focuses on Virtual Reality (VR) Training. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the work environment has been dramatically affected in terms of human resources. Although the condition has subsided, it does not rule out the possibility of a repeat pandemic.

To reduce risks due to a pandemic, Unipart Logistics provides job training using VR medium. VR Training will improve training efficiency by providing access to training materials to many prospective workers simultaneously. VR is also expected to invite skilled young people to become competent human resources for Unipart.

Jaguar Land Rover chose Unipart to manage their spare parts, so Unipart is also responsible as a distribution center and customer service to support Jaguar Land Rover.

“Using VR will change the way we at both Unipart and Jaguar Land Rover train our workers to a higher standard in a safe and immersive environment,” said Steve Goode, line manager from Fajar, in this internship project.

Fajar, who was accompanied by other IISMAVO awardees in one team, had to research the requirements for hardware, security and health measures for VR devices. In addition, they have to prepare drawings, dimensions, videos and gameplay procedures. In the future, the team will interact directly with VR tools and gameplay in hardware testing and anticipate the health and safety impacts that may occur due to the use of VR.

"In this case, we are helping Unipart Logistics as Quality Assurance in developing VR Training gameplay. This is done to ensure the quality and safety of the gameplay so that it is better than conventional training," said Fajar, explaining the work of his team at Coventry University.

In the work environment, many positive things are learned, including the discipline, professionalism, and work ethic of Unipart employees. Fajar and the team were able to face all challenges and adapt to the work environment at Unipart, starting from holding various meetings to presenting the results of tasks to managers. As one of the recipients of the IISMAVO Scheme A scholarship which focuses on industry, apart from studying with 41 other IISMAVO recipients, Fajar also gained experience interacting with local Coventry students to develop his network.

 Not only internship opportunities, but Coventry also provides other activities on and off campus for vocational study programs from universities in Indonesia. Fajar also had the opportunity to visit 7 top companies in England including Morgan Cars, Mini, Jaguar Land Rover, Brompton, JCB, Triumph and Manchester City football club, and see closely how these companies compete commercially.

Of course, this is also thanks to Coventry's proximity to industry. With the motto "learning in partnership with Industry," IISMAVO students get the opportunity to experience the industrial world that is currently running directly. It is hoped that Coventry's collaboration with industry will continue to develop better.

"We Indonesian students are grateful to IISMAVO and Coventry University for giving us extraordinary opportunities and experiences,"