In 2023, Transfr collaborated with Workforce Solutions of Coastal Bend (WSCB) to survey middle school students (grades 6-8) and capture their experiences with Transfr’s Career Exploration 2.0 simulations (CE 2.0). Surveys were anonymous and the highest level of care was taken to preserve privacy as well as data integrity. Student responses to VR were strongly positive.
Students were highly positive regarding VR career exploration, reporting high engagement simulations in careers that they hadn't considered before. They expressed that the VR experience helped them feel more prepared for real-world jobs. We believe that VR can help make career resources more accessible to all types of learners at an early stage.
Survey responses regarding engagement with the VR simulations (sims) were high, with 60% of students reporting that sims were “highly” or “somewhat” engaging. Only 3% of survey respondents reported lower engagement. Respondents also reported high ease of use for VR sims, with 77% saying that using VR headsets was easy and 70% of the students saying that following VR instructions was easy.
Our experience with Transfr has been amazing! Seeing the children’s eyes light up never gets old! The simulations really do give you a wellrounded idea of what it’s like to work in that field.
Students reported being highly satisfied with their VR career exploration experiences — 76% reporting high satisfaction (versus 17% neutral, 7% negative), making the satisfaction score significantly positive (t(26) = 8.83, p ≈ 0.00). Use of VR was also reported to have had an influence on student interest in various jobs, with 66% of the students reporting that sims had affected their interest in various jobs (versus 28% neutral and 7% negative; t(28) = 5.30, p ≈ 0.00).
Transfr’s new CE 2.0 simulations were built using decades of experience from skilled subject matter experts and selected according to past user feedback and workforce trends. The occupations on offer represent well-paying careers in high-growth industries. The sims themselves have also been tailored to be shorter, more exciting, and represent a day in the life of the careers being shown.
According to the student respondents, the careers they were most interested in were Emergency Medical Technician, Surgical Technologist, Electrician, and Registered Nurse — all incredibly vital occupations.
Career exploration helps students set realistic and meaningful goals for their futures. It provides a context for understanding the importance of academic and extracurricular activities in achieving long-term career success. VR career exploration helps students connect what they learn in school to the real world.
