With more than $2 million in NSF funding, Dr. Kapil Chalil Madathil and his collaborators are exploring how immersive technologies can improve workforce training and prepare people for rapidly evolving technological environments.
by Kathy Snipes October 15, 2026
As industries adopt increasingly sophisticated technologies, preparing workers to operate, maintain and interact with complex systems presents new challenges. From electric vehicles to advanced aviation systems, these technologies are transforming the skills required of today’s workforce and creating a growing need for innovative approaches to technical education.
At Clemson University, Dr. Kapil Chalil Madathil, the Wilfred P. Tiencken Professor of Industrial and Civil Engineering and director of the Clemson University for Workforce Development (CUCWD), is addressing these challenges through research focused on human-centered workforce training.
Supported by two National Science Foundation (NSF) awards totaling more than $2 million in funding to Clemson, Chalil Madathil and his collaborators are investigating how extended reality (XR) technologies can enhance workforce education and prepare workers for increasingly complex environments.
Emerging technologies are transforming industries faster than traditional workforce training can adapt. Our goal is to put people at the center of this transformation by using technology to create learning experiences that are effective, accessible, and grounded in how people learn and perform, Chalil Madathil said. While electric vehicles and avionics are two examples of our work, our broader vision is to develop scalable, evidence-based training approaches that can prepare the workforce for emerging technologies across industries.
Putting People at the Center of Workforce Training
Extended reality technologies, including virtual and augmented reality, offer opportunities to create immersive training environments where workers can explore complex systems, visualize technical processes and practice skills before working with physical equipment.
However, developing effective training requires more than introducing new technologies. Understanding how people learn, make decisions and perform complex tasks is equally important.
Drawing on expertise in human factors engineering and human-centered systems design, Chalil Madathil and his collaborators are examining how immersive training influences knowledge acquisition, cognitive workload, skill development and the ability to apply learned skills in real-world settings.
The goal is to identify evidence-based approaches that can make technical training more effective, accessible and adaptable to the needs of different industries.
Applying Immersive Learning to Electric Vehicle Education
One application of this research is the NSF-funded Revolutionizing Electric Vehicle Education (REVVED) project, which focuses on preparing workers for emerging electric and increasingly automated vehicle technologies.
As the automotive industry transitions toward electrification, technicians must develop new skills involving high-voltage electrical systems, battery technologies, electric propulsion and advanced diagnostics.
Through REVVED, Chalil Madathil and his collaborators are developing and evaluating educational experiences that combine traditional classroom instruction, immersive simulations and hands-on learning.
For example, XR simulations can allow students to explore high-voltage vehicle systems, understand complex components and practice technical procedures before interacting with physical equipment. These experiences can complement hands-on training while helping address challenges related to equipment availability, cost and safety.
With more than $1 million in NSF funding to Clemson to date, the project also emphasizes expanding access to workforce education for rural communities, veterans and populations historically underserved in STEM fields.
Expanding Immersive Training into Aviation
Building on this work in the automotive sector, Chalil Madathil and his collaborators are extending their research into aviation, where increasingly sophisticated electronic and digital systems are creating similar workforce training challenges.
Modern aircraft rely on complex systems supporting navigation, communication, surveillance and automation. Preparing technicians to maintain and troubleshoot these technologies requires access to specialized equipment and opportunities to practice complex tasks.
Chalil Madathil is leading Clemson’s efforts in A Consortium to Strengthen Avionics Technician Education, a three-year collaborative project that began in October 2026.
Supported by nearly $1 million in NSF funding to Clemson, the initiative brings together educational and industry partners to strengthen workforce education in avionics and related aviation technologies.
Clemson’s research will investigate how human-centered design principles can guide the development and evaluation of immersive training environments for complex aviation systems. Researchers will examine how simulation-based learning influences skill development, human performance and the ability to apply training to real-world tasks.
The consortium also seeks to expand educational and career pathways for high school and community college students, veterans and individuals interested in careers in aviation and aerospace.
Building a Foundation for Future Workforce Training
Although electric vehicles and avionics represent different industries, they share common challenges involving rapidly evolving technologies, specialized skills and limited access to advanced training equipment.
Through these projects, Chalil Madathil and his collaborators aim to develop evidence-based approaches to immersive workforce training that can be adapted across industries.
The research also builds on the work of the Clemson University Center for Workforce Development, which connects university researchers with educational institutions, industry partners and workforce development organizations to address emerging workforce needs.
Chalil Madathil’s work also reflects Clemson Industrial Engineering’s Human-Data-Systems research vision, which emphasizes the interconnected roles of people, data and systems in addressing complex challenges.
Dr. Kevin Taaffe, chair of Clemson University’s Department of Industrial Engineering, sees Chalil Madathil’s work as an example of the department’s human-centered research approach.
At Clemson Industrial Engineering, our researchers bring together the roles of people, data and systems when addressing challenging problems. Kapil’s work is a strong example of that approach, combining human-centered design, emerging technologies and industry collaboration to improve how we prepare the technical workforce, Taaffe said.
As emerging technologies continue to redefine the future of work, preparing people to adapt is just as important as advancing the technologies themselves. By placing human learning and performance at the center of workforce training, Clemson researchers aim to develop more effective, accessible and adaptable approaches to technical education across industries.
This research is supported by the National Science Foundation through Awards 2202134 and 2600148.
