Virtual Project Manager takes young people inside an animated 3D world where they are in charge of building new homes.

Pupils from Edinburgh’s Leith Academy were joined by apprentices from Sharkey Group and First Call Trade Services to launch Virtual Project Manager on Google Play Store during Scottish Apprenticeship Week.

The free app is part of Virtual Reality Careers in Construction, developed through Skills Development Scotland’s My World of Work Live! programme with partners the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Heriot-Watt University and Animmersion UK Ltd.

My World of Work Live! is a set of interactive exhibits and activities designed to inspire young people’s interest in careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.

This app is one of three mini games available through My World of Work Live! which use Virtual Reality to highlight career opportunities within the construction sector.

Scottish Apprenticeship Week is the annual campaign to show that apprenticeships work for businesses, individuals and the economy. The campaign – from 6 to 10 March – is a nationwide celebration aimed at encouraging more employers to take on apprentices.

Louise Chisholm, senior programme manager for My World of Work Live!, said: “This app immerses young people in a construction environment in a fun and engaging way.

“We hope it will help open their eyes to the wealth of opportunity the construction industry in Scotland has to offer.

“It’s fitting that we’re launching the app during Scottish Apprenticeship Week, as apprenticeships are a great way into working in a science, technology, engineering or maths industry.”

John Keenan, partnerships manager at CITB Scotland, said: “Virtual Project Manager is an innovative way of capturing young people’s imaginations about the fantastic opportunities a career in construction can provide them with.

“We hope that it will enable users to experience construction and inspire them to get involved in the development of Scotland’s built environment in the future.”

Sam Harrison, director of Animmersion UK Ltd, added: “Working on this project with the three partners was a very rewarding experience. We were able to develop innovative new ways of bringing educational messages and content to a young audience and the results are truly remarkable. The use of virtual reality as a means of educational and training engagement offers boundless possibilities.”

The partnership work with Virtual Reality has recently been nominated in the Best Use of Technology in Career Development category at this year’s UK Career Development Awards.