At Futurebuild earlier this year, I asked a room of retrofit professionals a question:
“Why are we still teaching modern retrofit using methods that wouldn’t look out of place in the 2010’s?”
A few thoughtful nods. A few uneasy glances. No disagreement. To me, that sums it up. Despite our progress with decarbonisation targets, PAS 2035 accreditation, funding expansion, the way we prepare people to deliver retrofit remains behind the times. We’ve evolved our technical standards but stalled in the methods we use to teach them.
In our rush to upgrade homes, we are not open to rethink how we train the people doing the work. That oversight is starting to show, deeply.
Retrofit Isn’t Just Technical. It’s Relational
Any seasoned Retrofit Coordinator will tell you: it’s never just about u-values. It’s about conversations, conflict, and compromise.
Coordinators don’t just read reports, they manage tensions and expectations. Installers don’t just follow specs; they adapt in real time. Occupants don’t just receive upgrades, they voice their fears, frustrations, and hopes.
This is the reality of the job. But we don’t train for it. Most industry learning is content heavy and context light: PDFs, compliance checklists, passive e-learning. These tools transfer knowledge, but not confidence, not situational judgement.
We’ve wrongly assumed that knowing is the same as doing. They’re not.
Immersive Training ≠ Gimmick: It’s a Pedagogical Necessity
Immersive tech has proven time and again that it fills the gap between theory and experience. In corporate studies, VR learners have been shown to complete training four times faster than classroom learners and feel up to 275% more confident applying skills on the job1. Emotional connection is up to 3.75× stronger than with traditional classroom learning.
Even cost-effectiveness becomes compelling at scale: PwC found that VR modules reach cost parity with traditional classroom training at just 375 learners – and by 3,000, VR was more than 50% cheaper to deliver.
This approach delivers immersive learning outcomes cost-effectively, quickly, and at scale.
The Retrofit Academy’s Experiments in Context
At The Retrofit Academy, we’ve been actively exploring how immersive technology can be applied meaningfully in retrofit education. The focus isn’t on novelty, but on creating opportunities for learners to step into realistic, job specific contexts where communication, observation, and decision-making all matter.
Rather than teaching solely through theory, immersive methods allow learners to engage with environments in a way that reflects the situational judgement the job demands. It’s not just about remembering what to do, it’s about recognising, how to respond, and why it matters.
Research by PwC found that VR learners were 275% more confident in applying their skills after training, compared to traditional learners. Not because they learned more facts, but because they had a chance to practise with purpose. That is the
missing link.
Not a Replacement, But a Missing Piece
Let’s be clear: I’m not advocating for headsets in every training session or an end to traditional education. People still learn through reading and e-learning, just as they always have.
But retrofit project delivery isn’t monolithic. It’s diverse, so we must tailor how we teach to the what and who of learning, and I understand scepticism. Too many XR firms have peddled superficial, one-size-fits-all modules: a flashy demo promising transformation but lacking substance or learning science.
That’s given immersive tech a reputation for hype over utility. But poor quality output is no argument against the medium, it’s a call for better design, stronger pedagogy, and sector-specific solutions.
Our work at TRA isn’t about showboating; it’s about preparation. Context-rich, reflective, grounded in real work. And designed with intention, not indulgence.
Beyond Training: On-site Augmentation
Education is just the start. Immersive platforms have real-world uses too.
Picture installers using AR overlays to visualise wall junctions or insulation details as they work. Imagine digital twins enabling remote walkthroughs for designers and coordinators before any tool is picked up. Virtual role-plays for coordinators to practise communication with vulnerable occupants, ready before they set foot on site.
None of this is futuristic. Headsets and AR glasses are already in play in aviation, healthcare, and manufacturing. But in retrofit, we must start in education, so that future use feels natural, not alien.
Debunking the Objections
Too expensive? VR kit now costs no more than several days of traditional training, and modular reuse makes it cost-effective in the long run.
Too niche? Industries from mining to finance now use VR, as industry-specific tools, and universal upskilling tools such as soft skills.
Isn’t it unrealistic? Realism isn’t a luxury; it’s needed if we want to give the industry the best opportunity to thrive.
Retrofit: A Living Laboratory for Immersive Tech
The retrofit sector is young, uniquely flexible, and in urgent need of better learning solutions. Standards are evolving, roles are new, and workforce needs are increasing. That makes it shapeable. We can pioneer rigorous, useful immersive learning and set standards others will follow.
Imagine retrofit leading the way in smart implementation, not innovation for innovation’s sake, but innovation for impact.
Let’s Retrofit Learning – Before It Holds Retrofit Back
We expect coordinators to deliver technical precision, engage stakeholders, and navigate unknowns – all at once. It’s a big ask.
If we want people to rise to that challenge, we need learning that builds not just what they know, but what they do, under pressure.
Immersive learning isn’t a gimmick. It’s a tool for building judgement, resilience, and empathy. It’s about closing the gap between our teaching and their reality.
Because a building only becomes truly retrofit when the people inside it are ready. Perhaps now it’s time we retrofit how we prepare them.
Written by Anthony McGill
Anthony McGill
KTP Associate, Staffordshire University