3RWIB and Simcoach Games proud to release professional video game suite
Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board (3RWIB) and Simcoach Games proudly announce the release of three mini-games aimed to teach and reinforce work-readiness skills to young job seekers.
Called the JobPro series, these video games prepare and reinforce key areas of work-readiness skills including time management, appropriate work attire, interview behavior and preparation. These games allow for teens and young adults to practice for a job interview in a safe environment. The games are free and available to download from iTunes, Google Play and Amazon Marketplace.
"We know that young people learn to work by working," said Stefani Pashman, 3RWIB CEO. "With video gaming, we are reaching young people where they are and giving them new ways to receive the tools, skills and confidence they need to take that step to join and succeed in the workforce."
Funded in part by a grant from the PA Department of Labor and Industry, the games were conceptualized, developed and tested by 25 interns from the summer's Learn and Earn program, a joint initiative from 3RWIB, the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to deliver paid summer work experience to opportunity youth in the city and county. The Learn and Earn program provided work experience, work-readiness coaching and holistic support to nearly 1,900 youth in 2015. Worksites included corporate environments, non-profit organizations and community-based placements.
"It's great to see that the youth of our region are having an impact on our growing economy," said Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto. "Learn and Earn youth were able to serve as testers for this game and through their feedback, a new interactive way for youth to interact with the workplace has arisen. Investing in our youth can and continues to lead to innovation."
Jessica Trybus, Simcoach Founder and CEO added, "It was such a rewarding experience to host the Learn and Earn interns. They contributed invaluably to the game designs as both our content experts and target player demographic. We absolutely needed them on the team so we could build solutions relevant to their peers."
The JobPro games are available to the public and will be used by community-based organizations focused on youth throughout Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Ultimately, these games will be used to prepare many teens and young adults for a first job.
"We are extremely proud that Learn and Earn was such a successful initiative this year and is something that we will be able to build on for future years," said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. "The work that these students did with Simcoach has not only allowed them to build their own skills for the workforce, but will enable even more of our youth to become work-ready."
Games are available at:
Google Play
JobPro: Get Dressed!
Amazon Marketplace
JobPro: Get Dressed!
iTunes
JobPro: Get Dressed!
About Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board
Nationally recognized for innovation, the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board (3RWIB) delivers workforce solutions for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to ensure that the current and future needs of businesses and job seekers are met. As stewards of more than $12 million in public and private workforce funds, 3RWIB oversees and funds workforce programs for adults, dislocated workers and youth; educates the community through robust labor market analytics; and implements innovation solutions to the region's systemic workforce challenges. 3RWIB bridges the gap between people looking for work and companies in need of talent. More information is available at www.trwib.org.
About Simcoach Games
Simcoach Games designs and develops video games that enable learners to achieve sustainable behavior change. We make learning simple, interactive and measurable. A spinout of Carnegie Mellon, Simcoach Games has been a leader in the gamification of learning since 2005. For more information, visit www.simcoachgames.com.
Nationally recognized for innovation, Partner4Work delivers workforce solutions for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to ensure the current and future needs of businesses and job seekers are met. As stewards of more than $25 million in public and private workforce funds, Partner4Work oversees and funds workforce programs for adults, dislocated workers, and youth; educates the community through robust labor market analytics; and implements innovative solutions to the region's systemic workforce challenges. Partner4Work bridges the gap between people looking for work and companies in need of talent. More information is available at www.partner4work.org.