Bridging the Skills Gap: How T-Level Students Are Revolutionising Workshop Training with AR Technology

Just another Thursday at Dynamic Devices? Hardly. This week, we witnessed something truly special as our QuestWalk technology took centre stage at an exciting demonstration event hosted by The Studio School Liverpool in partnership with the Northern Automotive Alliance.

When Innovation Meets Education

The automotive industry is evolving at breakneck speed, and so too must the way we train the next generation of technicians and engineers. This week’s event perfectly demonstrated how cutting-edge Augmented Reality technology can transform traditional workshop training, making it more engaging, accessible, and effective than ever before.

At the heart of this demonstration were two exceptional T-Level students from The Studio School: Daisy Weild and Ned Weatherstone, who are currently on their summer work placement with Dynamic Devices. In just one week, these talented students have created a comprehensive workshop training course using our QuestWalk AR technology—a feat that left both educators and industry professionals thoroughly impressed.

What Are T-Levels?

For those unfamiliar with T-Levels, these are technical qualifications equivalent to three A-levels, designed to give students the skills that employers are looking for. Introduced as part of the government’s reforms to technical education, T-Levels combine classroom learning with substantial work placements, ensuring students gain both theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

The Studio School Liverpool and UTC Life Sciences have long been committed to providing students with relevant workplace skills that directly translate to career success. Their partnership with Dynamic Devices exemplifies this commitment, offering students hands-on experience with emerging technologies that are shaping the future of industry.

QuestWalk: AR Training Redefined

Our QuestWalk (also known as SafeAR) application represents the next evolution in training technology. Running on standalone Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S VR headsets, it provides guided walk-throughs of indoor spaces using interactive text, pictures, and short videos—all completely offline.

Originally developed as part of the “5G Ecosystem – Proof of Concept call” between February and March 2025, QuestWalk was completed on time and under budget, with the full project now available on GitHub. What started as a proof of concept has quickly evolved into a powerful training tool with real-world applications.

A Week That Changed Everything

The transformation that Daisy and Ned achieved in just one week is nothing short of remarkable. They took our QuestWalk technology and adapted it specifically for workshop training, creating an immersive experience that guides students through complex equipment and procedures in the new automotive workshop at The Studio School.

The demonstration showcased how AR can bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Students can now explore workshop equipment virtually, learning about safety procedures, maintenance protocols, and operational techniques in a risk-free environment before handling actual machinery. The image above captures the moment perfectly—showing how naturally participants engaged with the AR interface whilst surrounded by real workshop equipment including advanced CNC machinery.

Industry Recognition and Future Potential

The response from attendees at the Northern Automotive Alliance was overwhelmingly positive. Industry professionals were not only engaged and impressed by the technology but actively enquiring about implementing QuestWalk in their own businesses. This level of interest validates what we’ve long believed: AR training isn’t just the future—it’s ready for deployment today.

The questions coming from automotive industry leaders centred around scalability, customisation, and return on investment. They recognised that QuestWalk could address several critical challenges:

• Standardised Training: Ensuring consistent training quality across multiple locations
• Safety: Reducing risk during initial training phases
• Cost Efficiency: Minimising equipment downtime and reducing the need for dedicated training spaces
• Accessibility: Making specialised training available to more students and workers
• Engagement: Using immersive technology to improve learning retention

Looking Forward

This successful demonstration represents more than just a showcase of technology—it’s a glimpse into the future of technical education and professional training. The enthusiasm shown by both students and industry professionals confirms that we’re on the right track in developing solutions that meet real-world needs.

Daisy and Ned’s outstanding work during their placement has not only demonstrated their own capabilities but also highlighted the potential for AR technology to transform how we approach skills development in technical industries. Their teacher, Dan Howard, and the entire team at The Studio School deserve recognition for fostering an environment where such innovation can flourish.

Getting Involved

If you’re interested in exploring how QuestWalk could benefit your organisation or educational institution, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re looking to enhance training programmes, improve safety procedures, or simply want to see this technology in action, get in touch with Dan Howard at D.Howard@lifesciencesutc.co.uk for further details.

The automotive industry is changing, and so is the way we prepare for it. With partnerships like this between Dynamic Devices, The Studio School, and the Northern Automotive Alliance, we’re not just keeping pace with change—we’re driving it forward.

Just another Thursday? Not quite. It was the day we saw the future of technical training come to life.

For more information about our QuestWalk technology and other innovative solutions, visit our project repository or contact us directly to arrange a demonstration.

Our founder Alex was privileged to be invited to the T-Level launch event the other night at The Studio Liverpool / Liverpool Life Sciences UTC to hear about their plans for these new courses.

Here, he is sharing his experience:

I can’t express my enthusiasm about what they are doing here.

We desperately need educationalists to engage with business and industry to ensure that the next generation of engineers and scientists are equipped with the right skills to be successful in their careers and to contribute to economic success for Liverpool and indeed the entire country.

These educationalists GET IT. We need courses that reflect what we are doing NOW not what we were doing twenty years ago. We need students to understand HOW TO LEARN as they are going to spend their entire lives learning. And we desperately need them to understand HOW TO PROBLEM SOLVE which is so important and is sadly lacking from so many school and university courses.

I am thoroughly supportive of engaging commercial business to support educational institutions, whether as STEM Ambassadors, through social mobility programmes such as those offered by The Social Mobility Foundation, supporting educationalists through the British Computer Society TEALS programme, mentoring, or engaging with employer lead projects.

I also very much look forward to engaging with Liverpool John Moores University LJMU Student Futures on these issues and particularly what can be done to work in collaboration between SMEs and universities on Degree Apprenticeships. Great to talk with you about this Tony Walker and I look forward to continuing the conversation.

Thanks to Enda Carey and Daniel Howard for the excellent evening. I was blown away by the quality of your graduate students, able at such a young age to stand up and present in front of a roomful of older people in such a professional manner. More power to everything you are doing here!