Arkansas Business – ‘Be Pro Be Proud’ Launches in 4th State

Originally released on Arkansas Business – https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/142050/be-pro-be-proud-launches-in-4th-state

Students use a virtual reality headset at a station inside a “Be Pro Be Proud” mobile workshop (Be Pro Be Proud)

The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce’s “Be Pro Be Proud” workforce development initiative has officially launched in North Carolina, the program’s fourth state.

The program’s two mobile workshops, which offer middle and high school students hands-on experience with skilled professions, began traveling the state earlier this month. The North Carolina Home Builders Educational & Charitable Foundation signed a contract with the North Carolina Department of Labor in February to administer the program, “Be Pro Be Proud NC.”

Different workstations inside the mobile workshops utilize virtual reality technology to allow students to experience what it’s like to use an excavator, practice welding, drive a tractor trailer, and work in construction, among other activities. The mobile workshops were constructed by SPEVCO, a Winston-Salem-based company. The Virtual Reality experiences were developed by Groove Jones.

“We are excited for this program to change the landscape of our workforce development in North Carolina,” Tim Minton, executive vice president of the North Carolina Home Builders Association, said in a news release. “The future of technical professions in North Carolina relies on our youth and investing in their future is of the utmost importance to us.”

“Be Pro Be Proud” also operates in Georgia and South Carolina.

Be Pro Be Proud Case Study

Linke to Be Pro Be Proud Case Study – https://www.groovejones.com/vr-experiences-to-recruit-next-generation-skilled-workforce/