What if you could have a trial run of a career before your first day on the job?
The Employment North office in Gravenhurst is offering just that to clients through the CareerLabsVR program.
The virtual reality program was created to help people explore career opportunities.
“If we don’t have clients that know what they want to do as a career, we can give them as much a real life version as we can,” said Michelle Bissett, client success specialist with Employment North. “We can watch how they listen to instructions, memorize, and see if it is a good fit for them.”
The Gravenhurst office has 29 career programs on its virtual reality system, mostly consisting of jobs in the trades, many of which are available in Muskoka.
“Our clients have given us good feedback. They really like it. It’s a new way of learning. Instead of sitting in a boring workshop with somebody telling you what a career is like, they actually can get the first hands-on try of it,” said Bissett.
The program is especially appealing to the younger generation, she said.
“I think it’s bringing up the new age technology with the younger groups that are going to be going into the trades that may be a little bit anxious or scared to go try them out or go do a job trial,” she said.
Janet Volpe, Employment North Gravenhurst site co-ordinator, said she hopes the program sparks people’s interest in the trades and helps fill the skills shortage affecting industries across Ontario.
“It is remarkable how many unfilled jobs there are, especially in carpentry, gas fitting and nursing,” said Volpe.
It takes about an hour for someone to complete one career module. Anyone can make an appointment to try out the program by contacting the office.
Sarah Law – Gravenhurst Banner – Saturday, July 2, 2022