Welcome to SAFETY TRAINING FOR YOUTH. As…
Welcome to SAFETY TRAINING FOR YOUTH. As a construction teacher and MET student I am in the right position to help digitalize construction teaching. Watch the elevator pitch and visit my venture pitch and reflection in Google Docs. I think you will see my passion and desire to see safety improved in construction classes.
*photos courtesy of creativecommons.org
Enjoy!
Thanks,
Dennis
Posted in: Uncategorized, Venture Forum
Jody McKinnon 4:17 pm on July 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
HI Dennis. I think you are on to something here. Your idea is a great one and I would hope that it would be developed and implemented immediately. Safety is our number one goal and I think that by putting in a digital form, you could probably catch your audience’s attention even more so. In fact, it might be fun to make safety videos with your students to add to your collection of legit safety videos. The idea seems very solid and could easily be sold or given to other jurisdictions as you have stated, it’s a not for profit idea. I didn’t see or hear anything about your CEO and Team so I couldn’t comment on that. Overall, I think it is a great idea that should be pursued immediately, if not sooner.
Jody
Dennis Pratt 2:34 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Jody;
I can’t wait to get going on the project and plan to initiate it this year over my last two courses. I had a hard time thinking of myself as a CEO for this venture as I do plan on organizing it but don’t know what kind of money will be involved to get it off the ground or see it through until the end. I tried to just mention my credentials and leave it at that. I think many people find it difficult to talk about themselves or sell themselves to others.
I appreciate the feedback as it is sometimes hard to come by, even amongst your colleagues.
Thanks,
Dennis
Yves Mainville 11:21 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Dennis,
Solid elevator pitch and quite relevant. I think it is very ‘à propos’ in current educational circles and the ministry’s push into trades.
I like the mobile accessibility of the product.
I would like to hear more about the competition and the market before investing however. Being somewhat familiar with this area, I think strategic partnerships will be key as well.
Well done.
Dennis Pratt 2:28 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Yves;
I like your idea of strategic partnerships as the initial networking would be more work but it would pay off quickly. As for the competition, I did not touch on it as much as I could have, mostly because there is not much available for youth specific training. There are a few websites put out by the government but they are mostly text and aimed at older youth. I can see this project aligning with Occupational Health and Safety at the provincial level and maybe even getting some government funding through them to develop quality resources.
Thanks,
Dennis
Yves Mainville 4:37 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Good points! Absolutely.
Good luck with the venture friend.
dmcinnes 1:59 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Dennis,
It sounds like a good concept. I can imagine how difficult it is to get all the students on the “same page” when many are absent on days that proper operation of tools, or safety demonstrations are conducted. What I wonder about though is how relevant will the videos/apps be when different shops use different tools, and various brands of tools? Also, is there a convention of set standards across Canada or does it vary province to province? Are the differences slight enough that it wouldn’t matter? I wonder if it might become a bit of a hodge podge with some manufacturers videos, some of your own. Would your identity/branding get lost in the shuffle?
Overall well done.
David McInnes
Dennis Pratt 2:24 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
David;
Thanks for the feedback and I have the same concerns myself. Most of the construction labs have a basic set of tools and that is where I will start with the simulations and videos. After that set is done I would branch off and specialize into tools that are less common. I can see the library growing and evolving with time. I really like what the Khan Academy has done with their library of videos and would try to do something similar over the years that I am teaching. Eventually I would like to get others involved, maybe through a contest so I am not the only one producing professional quality videos and simulations. For the most part there are similarities between most machinery and that is a great starting point.
Thanks,
Dennis
Yves Mainville 4:41 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Library of videos eh? Seems you need to talk to the CEO of Eduglogster VUE… there is your first partnership. 😉
dmcinnes 2:00 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
p.s. I forgot to add that I think Workers Compensation Board might really get behind a project like this. Maybe some funding would be available.
kimnoel 1:16 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Dennis,
Nice pitch and a very relevant venture idea. I love the app idea and I think that this could be something other than a “not-for-profit”! Didn’t hear anything about the company or team, but I think you should run with this (hopefully all the way to the bank!) 🙂
Great job – Good Luck!
Smiles, Kim
Danielle 2:32 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Dennis,
Great idea for a venture! I also like your elevator pitch. How you personally introduce the idea and follow up with examples is quite effective . As an investor, I would probably want to see more information about your marketing strategy, championship, and the competition. However, I think the venture speaks for itself and certainly has the potential of taking off. Well done!
Danielle
jtpatry 11:06 am on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Dennis,
Great idea for a venture concept in the hands on construction learning environment. Safety is always key in these types of environments and by having a mobile app with video data banks to refer back to or engage with prior to using machinery is a great idea. Getting the students involved with the venture would be a great idea as that someone mentioned above!
Thanks for sharing!
Jon
mackenzie 4:31 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I liked the elevator pitch it showed your problem and your solution. It caused me to look at you venture pitch more thoroughly. I liked the simulation idea but wonder if simulations are the way to go with such a hands on topic. I like the PHET simulations for physics and find them very useful and they save me large amounts of time with lab set up and take down. I would love to actually see one of these simulations since PHET was set up with nobel peach prize money.
Dennis Pratt 8:51 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Yes, the simulations and videos will be where most of the money goes. I would have a laptop or iPad set up like a kiosk where students can go to reference the machines they are supposed to know before they operate them. They would have to complete the simulations successfully a few times before getting on the actual equipment.
Thanks for the response.
Dennis
Bridget 5:53 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Dennis,
Thank you for sharing your pitches and after reviewing your elevator pitch I have the follow comments.
I like the way that you video-taped yourself in front of the tool bench since this immediately gave me an idea of what you would be talking about. I also found the pictures to be effective especially the x-ray.
As a time saver, videos are a great idea and work well within the realm of a flipped-classroom concept but I am not certain that they need to be recreated since a selection of safety videos already exist on the internet. I would have to weigh the value of the time and money spent reproducing these videos. If there is a reason for them to be specific it was not evident in the elevator pitch.
Bridget
Dennis Pratt 8:55 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Bridget;
I struggled getting everything into the elevator pitch as time seemed to go way to fast. I would have to produce new videos, for the most part, that target youth specifically. The safety videos that are available are mostly created for industry and adults. Youth need more focus and reminders about what the main points are.
The best example I can think of is Bill Nye. He creates amazing video about science that are created specifically for kids. If you have ever seen him speak to adults he is not so animated or exciting as he does not have to be.
Dennis
sheza 7:54 pm on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Dennis,
I think you have a great idea here. There is a huge push in all districts, provinces and many workplaces that deal with the trades to hire people who are well-trained on the safety of working with machinery. I liked the simple and straight-forward nature of your elevator pitch, though it would have been good to see some more aggressive marketing to an investor in there. I think you could effectively pitch this venture to the WHIMS Board or as you mention in your venture pitch, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety because your product could fill in the gaps left by their guidelines.
I especially like the fact that your product will consist of simulations that students go through to learn about the machinery and the safety precautions to take in using it – this is a feature that will give you a competitive edge over other safety resources available online. Launching this product as an app is also a great way to reach youth.
I think that their is viability in this venture and that you should pursue it! I would be interested in investing after seeing a more clearly worked out business plan.
All the best,
Sheza
Hussain Luaibi 12:21 pm on August 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello Dennis
Your project has potential success in it. What makes it so is the fact that you are highlighting an important factor in the field training and education: safety. In spite of the fact that you didn’t refer to the CEO and the team working with him, your project is still outstanding in terms of potential profitability. I think your idea can be a great haven for a lot of vocational institutes and schools due to the practicality of the project.
As for investing in your project, well, I would love to do it of course after considering the rivals of such idea.
You need to keep on to make it a real one and not only a 522 assignment.
Great job
Hussain
toddpowell 10:51 pm on August 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Dennis,
I have had many conversations with my school’s shop teacher about many of the same issues that you are highlighting. There is a great need for your project, and I would love to see this available in the future!
Cheers,
Todd