Pender County Schools Prepare Students for the Future Workforce with Career Exploration
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Pender County Schools provides modern career exploration for middle school students using Transfr’s Trek’s career awareness, virtual reality (VR) simulations, and career planning capabilities. At Topsail and Surf City Middle Schools, students use Transfr Trek to evaluate many career options, then get to experience interactive “day-in-the-life” simulations of high-paying in-demand careers in industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and robotics.Transfr’s Career Exploration Curriculum Resource also helps instructors integrate VR technology into their learning programs in a structured, dynamic way. Pender County Schools aim to expand career exploration to equip students with the confidence and knowledge they need to map out their education and career pathways.
Career and Technical Education is about real-world experiences, and the Transfr Trek VR simulations provide an exciting way to deliver them.”
Reinventing career exploration one student at a time
Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers at Pender County Schools are reinventing career exploration for middle school students with the help of Transfr Trek, an immersive and multi-modal career exploration solution.
At Topsail and Surf City Middle Schools, instructors introduce students to an easy-to-use mobile-optimized web experience that provides detailed data on over 100 occupations and recommends corresponding VR simulations to help students experience a day-in-the-life of the careers they match with. These experiences help students rethink what’s possible in their future and narrow their potential pathways.
“Students really enjoy digging into these career fields,” says Joseph Altergott, a CTE teacher at Topsail Middle. “Especially in VR simulations. It’s amazing to see how the technology not only sparks their curiosity but also gives them a clearer vision of what these professions entail.”
Sherrie Turner, from Surf City Middle, adds, “CTE is about real-world experiences, and the VR headsets provide an exciting way to deliver them.”
Their efforts have sparked excitement across classrooms, inspiring students to explore careers they may not have considered otherwise.
Integrating Transfr Trek with an existing learning program
Pender County Schools’ journey with Transfr began with VR career exploration simulations, which enable students to gain virtual experience in careers like welding, construction, robotics, nursing, and more. The program expanded further with the addition of Transfr Trek’s career awareness experience, which allows students to use any internet-connected device to complete an interest survey, access rich data on over 100+ occupations, and receive recommended VR simulations.
Students can easily move between mobile and VR devices as they explore career options and follow prompts to complete and share their personalized learning plan. The connective tissue across modalities is unique to Transfr Trek and makes it a powerful way to explore careers and potential career pathways.
Both teachers emphasize the benefits of integrating technology into the classroom. Joseph notes how easy the tools are to follow and use, while Sherrie highlights the flexibility and value of the career exploration curriculum resources, which help instructors integrate Transfr Trek into their existing learning plans.
“I’m always nervous when implementing new content, especially from outside sources,” Joseph says. “But the lesson plans [in Transfr Trek’s Career Exploration Curriculum Resource] have been put together with teachers in mind. I think that’s great.”
The Curriculum Resource — built by educators, for educators — along with Transfr’s Customer Success team’s guidance, helps educators guide students through SMART goals and vision boards, ensuring that career discovery is meaningful and structured. The entire solution helps students refine their interests and make connections between simulations and broader career planning.
“The mobile and VR experiences ensure students are exploring multiple career paths, not just the ones they initially gravitate toward,” Sherrie explains.
Successes: A ripple effect of excitement and engagement
The impact of Transfr Trek on students and classrooms is transformative. Joseph observes how peer conversations about the simulations draw more students to try different career paths, and Sherrie sees students’ excitement when using the VR headsets:
“Students in other classes constantly ask when they’ll get to try Career Exploration because of the VR experience.”
Transfr Trek encourages students to think beyond their immediate interests and broaden their horizons. Both Joseph and Sherrie plan to incorporate Transfr solutions more fully into their programming, noting that they make career exploration a more dynamic and engaging experience.
Building on past Transfr successes
Both teachers are optimistic about the future of career exploration with Transfr. Joseph’s goal is for his entire class to be fully integrated with Transfr’s curriculum by fall 2025. Sherrie plans to equip her entire classroom with VR headsets to provide each student with more frequent, individualized simulations.
Transfr’s VR and mobile experiences not only modernize career exploration at Pender County Schools but have also laid the groundwork for a new generation of confident, informed students ready to fill modern jobs in high-growth industries. As Sherrie concludes:
“Transfr Trek brings career exploration to life.”
