CEO DATELINE - Association develops video game to encourage technician careers in trucking
CEO DATELINE - Association develops video game to encourage technician careers in trucking
- April 20, 2021 |
-
Walt Williams
Screenshot from the recently released TMC SuperTech: The Game.
The American Trucking Associations has developed a video game for mobile phones with the aim of encouraging young adults to pursue careers as technicians in the trucking industry.
Consider joining CEO Update. Membership gives full access to the latest intelligence on association management, career advancement, compensation trends and networking events, as well as hundreds of listings for senior-level association jobs.
TMC SuperTech: The Game is geared to middle- and high-school students and is available as a free download on the Apple iOS and Android platforms, ATA said in a statement. A pilot was tested through the Arkansas Office of Skills Development, a division of the state's Department of Commerce. The game is based on the National Technician Skills Competition administered by ATA's Technology & Maintenance Council.
The game uses augmented reality to project a 3D model of Little Rock, Ark., on a flat surface near the player. A fleet of tractor-trailers navigate throughout the city, occasionally signaling that they are in need of maintenance. Players learn to diagnose and repair the vehicles through a series of three minigames focused on tire/wheel, brake and engine repair.
Gamers can progress through 15 levels, starting as a student technician and ultimately becoming the owner of a repair shop, ATA said. They are rewarded with the ability to purchase special paint jobs for their fleet of trucks and other performance improvements.
"The time is ripe for new methods of attracting next-generation technician workforce to our industry," ATA CEO Chris Spear said. "Having a mobile, smart-device based game is an excellent means of supporting outreach campaigns focused on generating interest in the trucking and transportation industry among school-aged children."
The truck stop company Travel Centers of America and the Arkansas OSD are premier-level sponsors of the game, ATA said. Other sponsors include Cummins, Dana, Worldwide Equipment, Volvo Trucks Academy and Peterson Manufacturing. The game was developed in partnership with Design Interactive, based in Orlando, Fla.
MORE CEO DATELINE