GRAND FORKS — All K-12 students in North Dakota will now have access to a virtual reality career exploration platform, as part of a larger effort to grow the workforce in North Dakota.
CareerViewXR is a virtual reality platform focused on bringing immersive job experiences into classrooms. In 2023, the state Legislature passed funding for CareerViewXR to be accessible to all middle and high school students. During the most recent legislative session, funding was passed to expand the program to elementary schools.
Wayde Sick, the director of the North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education, said the goal for the program is to show students there are opportunities for work and career growth in North Dakota — particularly as the state is facing a workforce shortage.
“Our goal is to engage our young people and encourage them to stay within the borders of North Dakota, because we need them here,” he said. “We do want them to be aware that there are opportunities in North Dakota. You don’t need to leave the state of North Dakota to get education, get that training and then have that career.”
The platform offers 360-degree “career journeys,” where students can step into job sites across a variety of industries — health care, construction, education, various trades and more. Students can use virtual reality headsets to have a more immersive experience, or they can access the platform’s content on any desktop, tablet, mobile or other device. Schools do not have to pay to access the platform and CareerViewXR has donated a VR headset to every middle and high school in the state. If schools want additional headsets, they would need to purchase them. The platform will work on any mainstream headset.
With the technology, Sick said students have access to job sites and career experiences that they would not have access to without the platform.
“Some of these opportunities, or these experiences, a young person may not be allowed to be in person for because of the safety concerns,” Sick said. “This allows for students to see what that job, what that occupation may look like, without actually being on that work site. … It’s as realistic as it can be without actually being there.”
Many of the jobs highlighted are jobs that are currently in-demand in the state. Sick said while many of the careers are also applicable nationally, it is important to show students the options that are available here.
“We obviously have a workforce shortage, and what we want to do is we want to show students what kind of opportunities are out there that they may have no idea about,” he said. “This is just another tool in that toolbox for educators to show students what is out there.”
CareerViewXR is based in Fargo, North Dakota, and the program is funded through a public/private partnership. What the state has contributed, private businesses have matched, and CareerViewXR is also providing an in-kind match.
Sophia is the K-12 education reporter for the Grand Forks Herald.