NJATC Chooses Etcetera Edutainment as a Training Partner to Provide Game-Based Simulation Training for NFPA 70E Electrical Safety

PITTSBURGH, PA, December 16, 2010 (Press-News.org) Etcetera Edutainment Inc. (EE) has been selected by the National Joint Apprenticeship Committee, (NJATC) program for the electrical industry as a training partner. EE is the leader in developing game-based simulation training applications for learning, with an emphasis on workplace safety, and the NJATC's goal is to provide the highest quality training to those interested in a career in the various fields within the electrical industry.

"Our goals are very much in sync as we also want to prepare the workforce for the future, and save lives through providing the kind of training that makes a lasting and positive impression, where virtual experiences can be carried into real-world practice", said Jessica Trybus, Founder and CEO of Etcetera Edutainment.

The first of EE's offerings to be incorporated into the NJATC's program is Electrical Safety Sim: Low Voltage, a revolutionary game-based simulation training solution that allows learners to experience real-world situations and practice the application of electrical safety principles and processes in a virtual, risk-free environment. Every day, electrical workers in the United States experience one fatality and fifteen arc-flash incidents resulting in burn injuries; more than fifty-percent of these incidents involve equipment operating at less than 600 volts. The purpose of EE's program is to drastically reduce these numbers by helping workers develop safer work habits.

EE's Electrical Safety Sim: Low Voltage is OSHA and NFPA 70E compliant, with all arc-flash calculations based on IEEE 1584 Standard. The NJATC envisions this highly effective training program being used to train Journeymen, Apprentices, Construction Wiremen/Electricians and Signatory Contractors.

Palmer Hickman, NJATC Director of Codes and Standards, says "Etcetera Edutainment's Low Voltage Simulator takes electrical safety to a new level. The program provides the user with the unique ability to incorporate standards-based knowledge with the simulated task-based environment. The 'worker' is empowered to make his or her own decisions and get immediate feedback on the outcome."

About Etcetera Edutainment

Etcetera Edutainment's (EE) mission is to revolutionize learning effectiveness in workplace training to produce true behavior change. EE combines videogame and instructional design with simulation technology to create learning experiences that mimic real-life situations so learning can more easily be carried back into the workplace. Through its inherent design, game-based simulation training drives exceptional learner participation and engagement, and delivers measurable improvements in knowledge retention and performance.EE was founded in 2005 by faculty members and graduates of Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center (ETC). EE products are the result of years of experience and research into how game and instructional design can be aligned with simulation principles to deliver more effective learning that increases knowledge retention. For more information about Etcetera Edutainment visit http://www.etcedu.com.

About the NJATC

The NJATC is a non-profit organization founded in 1941 by the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The organization is committed to developing and standardizing education in the electrical industry to properly and effectively train members of NECA and the IBEW; providing the electrical industry with the most highly trained and skilled workforce possible. For more information about the NJATC visit http://www.njatc.org.