OhioMeansJobs reports VR career exploration, summer boot camps and employer outreach for youth
Loading...
Summary
OhioMeansJobs deputy director said the office expanded virtual‑reality career exploration to local schools, piloted summer boot‑camp work experiences for 14- and 15‑year‑olds using TANF funds, and strengthened coordination with economic development.
Josh Hice, deputy director of OhioMeansJobs in Warren County, told the Warren County Board of Commissioners that the office expanded virtual‑reality career-exploration headsets into schools countywide and is using the technology to help students rule out or investigate career paths.
Hice said the VR program is available for teachers to request and that the data the program generates is shared with school districts to inform career‑education choices. “One girl said, ‘I was born to be a surgical nurse,’” Hice recounted, describing a VR simulation that produced a strong reaction and helped the student reassess the fit of a health‑care role.
Nut graf: OhioMeansJobs framed the expansions as workforce development investments aimed at connecting students and young people to meaningful work. Commissioners were told the office concentrated on hands‑on experiences for younger teens and on rebuilding employer partnerships.
Youth work experiences and employer outreach: Hice described a summer program focused on 14‑ and 15‑year‑olds that uses TANF-eligible funding coordinated with human services to provide “boot camp” style work experiences that teach basic workplace habits. Hice said the program will finish around August–September and that the office will collect data on outcomes.
Hice said OhioMeansJobs has rebuilt relationships with local employers after past problems placing youth at worksites and is expanding an employer network. He described a monthly cross‑training meeting with economic development staff and said the county team was invited to present their combined OMJ-economic development approach at an ODJFS conference. Hice said other counties plan to visit to learn from Warren County’s program.
Operational context and data use: Hice noted that VR deployment yields data the district can share with school districts to show student interests and relative aptitude for specific career experiences. He described a mobile resource group and other outreach practices that aim to meet youth “where they are.”
Ending: Hice described collecting a Warren County–specific ROI and localized data to quantify impacts and said he would share that with commissioners when available.
