System used for worker training helps students experience a day in the life of 38 career paths.

Some students assisted a surgeon with knee surgery, others did electrical work by climbing a 400-foot tower, students also used a jack hammer to work on a road.

These real-world career exploration opportunities were made possible thanks to virtual reality (VR) to Shelby Junior High School Life Skills and Exploratory Design Engineering (EDE) students.

“It’s important that students have this experience because there’s a lot of pressure on them to choose a career path by the time they enter high school,” Shelby Junior High EDE teacher, Andy Davis, said.

“The more they get to experience now as junior high students, the better off they’ll be when they’re filling out their high school schedule.“

Students were able to explore multiple careers through immersive, real-life simulations. The VR career exploration opportunity was facilitated by EmergeNET through a state grant and offered students 38 career paths to choose from.  

“The experience was really fun for me because I got to see what a day would be like assisting a medical professional in the workforce,” said Shelby Junior High 8^th grader, Shyna Vij.

Vij will be attending the Utica High School Academy for Health and Human Services next year and said that this experience further solidified that she wants to go into the medical field.

“I think it’s important that we have this opportunity because it shows you how things are done and will help you see how things are run in the career cluster you want to go into,” Vij said.

Shelby Junior High had over 200 students engage with the VR career exploration opportunity thanks in part to Lisa Hallam, Utica Community Schools student success consultant. Jeannette Junior High will also engage with EmergeNET next month.

“I want students to open as many career doors as possible for themselves so that they can see everything available to them,” said Hallam.