I'm not saying that I'm looking for a new job, but a recent visit to the virtual reality learning laboratory made me think I might be good at welding. Maybe even good at it.

Well, this may be a bit far-fetched, I am not ready to give up telling the reader important things, so what can I do. I can't throw away my newly found gift. Let me first tell you how I discovered my hidden skills.

I received a call on Tuesday, November 2nd, saying that I had a great opportunity to come to Vardner the next morning. Evelyn Fowler is the head of the CEP team in rural Minnesota in Wadena. She shared that a semi-truck and trailer would come to their parking lot that Wednesday morning full of good ideas. Literally, the semi-trailer is full of virtual reality equipment and is named Big Ideas. This is a non-profit organization that travels from town to town to teach people trade skills that they might not have the opportunity to participate in.

So of course I am curious about it. I showed up the next day and was sent directly to the trailer to go to work. At first I thought I would only watch people learn how to drive an excavator or paint industrial parts. When I saw someone using a virtual reality MIG welding machine, I was very interested.

The training equipment allows you to wear something that looks like a real welding mask and hold something that looks and feels like a real welding gun. The technology is even wired to a device that looks exactly like a real welder. This is as close as I can use a real welder without burning a hole in my pants or wasting hundreds of dollars in expensive equipment.

So I adjusted the shield there, with a gun in my hand and fingers on the trigger, and my trainer Joe Schotzko instructed me how to start my first welding.

He explained exactly how far the tip of the welder was from my joints. The virtual screen I'm watching also provides me with instructions, and it lights up green when I'm in the position where I just started soldering. Then pull the trigger, I am welding. The noise, bright light and smoke from my welds indicate that I am indeed doing this.

The arrow indicates how fast you move along the joint to form a smooth weld, and the red line lets you know if you are off target. At the end of my 3-4 inch weld, I must carefully observe my weld. It doesn't look great, but it is a tolerable weld, at least in the virtual world. I had a low score in the 90s. I think it's pretty good.

I think this is very interesting, but I will keep going. Joe doesn't think so. My teacher asked me to start a new welding, this time I was more consistent, but my final reading accurately showed where I went wrong. When my hands are slightly off track, I walk too slowly or too fast. The criticism is very detailed. gave me a deep impression.

Now a group of new students came behind me and I was going to move on, but Schotzko was not finished yet. He asked me to solder again, but this time I want to demonstrate soldering for others. No pressure, right? I know where to start this time. I know where to hold my hand. No need to explain, I know how to operate this thing. When I finish my soldering, it is a beautiful thing. I got 99 points. I didn't ask, but I assumed that it was 100 points. Am I that good? Should I deny the world of my innate ability?

Now I will not say that you can give me a real welder, I will now weld a perfect quarter of a roll or create a weld where you can bet your axles. I am sure that it takes a lot of time behind a real welder. But this virtual reality device did show me the basics of welding feel. It allows you to build enough confidence to make users say, "Maybe I can really do this?"

This is the hope of the Big Ideas trailer and the people who brought it to all parts of Minnesota. It provides an opportunity to try transactions for free without worrying about the high cost of destroying something or using actual materials.

Andrew Kish, Coordinator of the Mobile Learning Lab at Big Ideas Inc., shared how the technology industry needs more young people, and virtual reality may be the right tool to get them on this path. Michael Johnson/Pioneer Magazine

Andrew Kish, Coordinator of the Mobile Learning Lab at Big Ideas, said: “It kind of eliminates the fear.” He explained how the paint simulator accurately shows how much paint you use and how much paint you waste. It can even convert it into a dollar amount. In this way, when you make a real transaction, you will know how to avoid waste.

Kish said that the Big Ideas trailer is about to visit 100 sites. It all started in New Ulm, Minnesota in March 2021. They are working hard to add more emulators and launch a second trailer soon.

He watched students painting and carpentry work using virtual reality goggles in the Vocational Power Center. It is very hysterical to watch a room full of people draw and lift objects wearing VR goggles.

During the Big Ideas visit in Vardner on Wednesday, November 3rd, a meeting room full of students tried different industries using virtual reality goggles and magic wands. Michael Johnson/Pioneer Magazine

"It's always easier to try something and say you don't like it, and then never try it," Kish said.

Kish has a welding background and because of his work, he has traveled to 49 states and Europe. He loves his work. The lack of skilled workers like him prompted him to take action to change the situation. When he needed to hire more employees for his business, he was only 27 years old. He could not find anyone under 30 to apply for a job.

Kish said: "The hardest thing to realize is where we are going from here." He shared that the industry urgently needs young people to enter the technology industry. The technology industry may not be for everyone, but neither is a four-year degree.

"Trading kind of makes the world go round," Kish said. "Skilled transactions always exist."

At least it hurts to try to trade. I can tell you that the simulator eliminates the risk of injury. Even the best welders still get burned from time to time. But not here. Where else can you jump on the excavator and expect to take off without any impact on everything you run over. There is nowhere else but here.

This mobile classroom provides 26 virtual occupations. Dozens of rural CEP members and students from surrounding communities came to give it a try. Most people laugh at these experiences. The Big Ideas website even lists sewing as one of their classroom learning opportunities. Their goal is to keep people away from the phrase "I did it!" This is how I feel.

Fowler said that she is very happy to see the big idea trailer appear, because it is another tool they can use to try to get people into their careers. The Detroit Lakes office got the trailer and took it to all of their rural CEP locations.

"I just want to stimulate people's interest in finding a job and how we can help," Fowler said of the reasons for bringing it to Vardner. Unsurprisingly, career centers provide far more job opportunities than job seekers.

“If they want to change a job or a job, or need help in finding a job or resume, these are free services that we can help them,” Fowler said of the rural CEP office services.

Based on experience, the rural CEP staff asked us to conduct a survey. I have to say that this is a five-star experience for me.

Bringing this mobile classroom and staff to your location is not free. Fowler mentioned that schools can seek funding from Perkins to get this mobile trailer to their location, allowing more students to try these careers. It doesn't hurt to give it a try.