A Petrolia-based non-profit providing things such as residential and group-living support services to people with developmental disabilities is turning to virtual reality to try to improve its staffing levels.
“Retention … it’s been a struggle,” said Elizabeth Forman, human resources director with Lambton County Developmental Services (LCDS).
Entry-level recruits the organization hires, who have no job experience or training per se, sometimes leave after their initial training or after their first shift, realizing it’s not the job for them, said executive director Nick Salaris.
“So, we’re hoping we can (use virtual reality to) expose people to a more lived and real experience, and they’ll know what they’re getting into before their first shift,” he said.
Four modules, on things such as medication administration, lifting and fleet vehicle checks are in development via Melcher Studios, said Carrie Balfe, LCDS’ learning and development coordinator.
Expectations are the first module will be ready this fall, she said, so the non-profit with about 250 staff and 200 clients can use it at job fairs and when visiting high schools.
“So people can have an idea of what the job would look like,” she said.
Demand for LCDS supports and the sector more broadly is only increasing as the provincial population ages, and aging parents of adult children with developmental disabilities need more and more support, said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
The Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP and Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey jointly announced $180,000 through the government’s Skills Development Fund to pay for the virtual reality (VR) program’s development.
“We know that employers in every single industry are struggling to find the talented workers they need to grow the economy and serve our families,” McNaughton said.
Hopes are the modules also can be used to retrain employees, like in the case where medication errors are happening, and can bolster training throughout the sector if LCDS employees go to other organizations, said Salaris.
“We’re in the helping profession,” he said. “We support people. We want to make sure they’re supported throughout the province.”
The idea came after an LCDS employee saw a nursing home using VR technology at a job fair, but there was nothing in the way of modules available for developmental services, Balfe said.
“This could be a model for the entire province,” McNaughton said about the programs being developed for LCDS.
“It really is exciting to use modern technology to recruit and retain talent, especially in a sector where we’re so understaffed right now,” he said.
How many more staff LCDS needs depends on demand, including the type of care needed, said Forman.
Most customers need around-the-clock support, she said.
“You need quite a few people to do 24/7 support.”
The agency could need 200 or more employees in the future to meet demand, Salaris said.
The VR training complements, but doesn’t replace, existing in-person, hands-on training, Balfe said.
“It’s just an added enhancement,” Forman said.