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Case study | Leading training through our Academies
OCU’s internal academy network spans seven fixed locations, with a Mobile Academy launching in 2025, delivering accredited training to develop safety-focused teams with enhanced capabilities across our operations.
From scale model to immersive reality Our Sheffield Academy now houses the Virtual Village, a groundbreaking virtual-reality (VR) training environment designed and delivered by T³.
Led by the Technical Training Team (T³), the Academies offer hands‑on courses in fibre, civils, confined space, jointing and plant operation, all grounded in OCU’s safety-first mindset: Think Safe + Work Safe = Home Safe. Our Sheffield site hosts the ‘Virtual Village’, an immersive augmented-reality environment that prepares teams for real-world complexity without live-site risk. Integrated with the OCU One app, the Academies streamline course booking and competency tracking, while the Mobile Academy unit will bring training directly to additional sites. Together, these facilities are embedding a culture of safety, technical excellence and operational readiness across our people and the wider Group.
The journey begins with a detailed physical scale model of a typical UK streetscape. Instructors use this macro view to explain safe work zones, pedestrian interfaces and public realm responsibilities before anyone steps onto a live site. Trainees then put on a VR headset and are instantly transported inside the same village at full scale. The headset overlays interactive digital assets onto the physical space, creating a seamless transition from model to life-size simulation.
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