Interplay Learning, the Austin, Texas-based company known for its immersive digital and virtual reality training content for skilled trades including HVAC, was named one of America's Top EdTech Companies for 2026 by Time magazine and Statista, according to ACHR News's May 18, 2026 news brief. The recognition places Interplay alongside educational technology companies serving traditional academic markets — a signal that skilled trades training is entering the mainstream of the educational technology category.

For the HVAC industry, Interplay Learning's recognition matters because it validates a training approach that many traditional contractors and educators have been slow to adopt: digital simulation and virtual reality as a supplement to or replacement for hands-on equipment training. In an industry where the technician shortage is the top business challenge and the cost of inadequate training is equipment damage, warranty claims, and customer dissatisfaction, the question of how to train technicians faster and more effectively has never been more consequential.

What Interplay Learning Does

Interplay Learning provides 3D simulation and virtual reality training content specifically designed for skilled trades — HVAC, plumbing, electrical, solar, and multifamily maintenance. The platform's HVAC content covers equipment installation, diagnostic procedures, refrigerant handling, electrical troubleshooting, and the A2L refrigerant transition protocols that every technician in the US now needs to understand.

The core value proposition of simulation-based HVAC training versus traditional classroom or on-equipment training:

• No equipment required: A technician can practice diagnosing a failed capacitor, a refrigerant leak, or a control board malfunction on a simulated system without the cost or availability constraints of actual training equipment

• Unlimited repetition: Complex diagnostic procedures can be repeated dozens of times in a simulation environment before a technician encounters the actual situation in the field — building procedural confidence that observation-based training cannot produce at the same rate

• Safe A2L training: The specific safety protocols for A2L refrigerant handling can be practiced in a zero-risk simulation environment before technicians handle actual A2L systems. This is particularly valuable given that A2L training is now mandatory and the consequences of improper handling include both safety risk and regulatory non-compliance

• Scalability: Digital training content can be delivered to any technician with a device and an internet connection — not constrained by the geographic availability of training facilities or the scheduling availability of experienced trainers

Interplay Learning, named one of America's Top EdTech Companies for 2026 by Time and Statista, provides 3D simulation and VR training for HVAC technicians covering equipment installation, diagnostics, refrigerant handling, and A2L transition protocols — validation that digital simulation is entering mainstream trades training as the technician shortage makes scalable, accessible training essential.

Why Virtual Training Is Gaining Traction in 2026

Three converging forces are driving accelerated adoption of digital training platforms in HVAC:

• Technician shortage urgency: With 40,000-plus annual job openings and training pipelines that are not keeping pace, any technology that accelerates technician development without requiring scarce training resources is immediately valuable. Digital simulation enables more technicians to reach competency faster.

• A2L transition knowledge gap: The mandatory A2L refrigerant transition has created an immediate training need for the existing workforce — not just new entrants. Digital training that can be delivered to technicians already in the field without requiring facility visits is exactly what the transition demands.

• PE platform adoption: PE-backed HVAC platforms that are managing dozens of acquired companies need training that is consistent and scalable across their portfolio. Digital platforms like Interplay Learning enable training standardisation that face-to-face programmes cannot match across geographically dispersed operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Interplay Learning?

Interplay Learning is an Austin, Texas-based educational technology company providing 3D simulation and virtual reality training for skilled trades including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and solar. Named one of America's Top EdTech Companies for 2026 by Time and Statista, the company's content covers equipment installation, diagnostics, refrigerant handling, and A2L transition protocols.

How does virtual training help with the HVAC technician shortage?

Digital simulation enables more technicians to develop competency faster without the constraints of physical training facilities or scheduling availability of experienced trainers. Technicians can practice diagnostic procedures repeatedly in a zero-risk environment, building procedural confidence before encountering real equipment — accelerating the path from new hire to field-capable technician.