Transfr, working with the Boys & Girls Club of Central Minnesota conducted a study to capture youth experiences with Transfr’s VR Career Exploration (CE). The sample group was made up of 25 students in grades 6-10 who used Transfr’s CE simulations and completed a survey. They were asked to evaluate their experiences across a variety of elements, including engagement, ease of use, and overall satisfaction.
Students found simulations highly engaging and informative and expressed a willingness to undertake further VR training in the future.
As part of the survey, participants were invited to add a few words about their experiences. Many had positive things to say in response to the question “What do you remember the most from the VR simulations you tried/explored?”
“Welding is more fun than I thought it would be.”
“They were very interesting.”
“I remember how cool and realistic it was.”
“It feels real and it gives you a type of feeling where you are actually doing it.”
“I really felt like I was actually helping people… it really felt realistic.”
To better prepare the youth of today for the jobs of tomorrow, VR Career Exploration has to be engaging and informative. When asked about their experiences in Transfr CE simulations, Boys & Girls Club users reported that they felt like they learned a lot and were highly satisfied with their experiences. A majority also responded positively when asked if they would be willing to take training courses with VR simulations.
These findings are exciting because they demonstrate that young people perceive that VR career exploration is not only engaging but also effective for learning about future job opportunities. The positive feedback from Boys & Girls Club users, particularly their willingness to pursue further training with VR, highlights its potential to transform how career readiness is delivered.
Transfr Career Exploration simulations are designed to be short and engaging and give users a quick glimpse into a day in the life of well-paying jobs in high-growth industries. The ability to give explorers access to varied careers — many of which would be very difficult to access via traditional methods like shadowing and field trips — is one of VR’s greatest strengths. Four of the most-completed simulations present situations that would be exceedingly difficult for young learners to experience, but are tied to extremely important jobs in society. Starting young people on these paths early could make a huge difference in shaping the workforce of tomorrow.
As we have observed with young learners, exploring career options in VR is a fun and engaging experience. However, the reason we aim to create this engaging experience is to connect it to their career readiness and help them make informed decisions about their future careers.
