Interplay Learning, the leader in immersive training for skilled trades, today announced a strategic partnership with InStride, a public benefit company empowering employers to offer career-aligned, debt-free education. Through this collaboration, Interplay Academy’s job-ready certificate programs will now be available via InStride’s Career Education Paths, expanding access to skilled trades training for employees at top corporations across the U.S.
This partnership brings high-impact, no-cost training to employees of InStride’s corporate partners, including major organizations like Medtronic and Ascension. Employees will have access to Interplay’s industry-recognized training programs, enabling them to develop high-demand technical skills, advance their careers, and contribute more effectively within their organizations.
“Together with InStride, we’re creating opportunities for thousands of people around the country to explore a career in the skilled trades,” said Doug Donovan, CEO and Founder of Interplay Learning. “This partnership represents the future of workforce development and the powerful potential of expanded access to education.”
High-Quality Training, No Student Debt
Interplay Academy offers expert-designed learning pathways that feature:
-
Immersive 3D simulations
-
Expert-led video tutorials
-
Knowledge checks for skill retention
These programs allow learners to engage in self-paced, hands-on practice within a safe, virtual environment—helping them earn industry-recognized credentials faster and with greater confidence.
Meeting Real Workforce Needs
This collaboration gives InStride’s corporate partners the ability to offer high-value training across several in-demand disciplines, including:
-
Appliance repair
-
Building maintenance
-
Electrical
-
HVAC
-
Multifamily maintenance
-
Plumbing
-
Residential construction
“Right now, both our corporate partners and their employees are hungry for education that gets them real, usable skills—skills that translate into being job ready, fast,” said Craig Maloney, CEO of InStride. “Interplay’s immersive, VR-powered programs deliver on that need. This partnership lets us meet employees where they are and stay ahead of the curve in how people actually want to learn and grow their careers.”
By reducing traditional barriers to workforce education—such as student loan debt and limited access to hands-on practice—Interplay Learning and InStride are driving a new standard in how frontline talent is trained and upskilled in America.
