Guilford County Schools (GCS) in North Carolina acquired a variety of Realityworks learning aids for a series of Career Accelerator Summer Programs through federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. One of the programs focuses on introducing students to in-demand welding careers through camp Welding, Wiring, and Electrical Trades (WWE).
“The hands-on skills that are provided with these [learning aids] fit perfectly, and it really provides a very rich experience for our students,” said Vernon Mc Ham, GCS Director of Operations CTE. “Realityworks has been a great partner for Guilford County CTE department for a number of years. The products that are provided and are available match very well with our programs.”
The goal of this camp is to give students a glimpse into welding careers that they could pursue and high school classes they could take. The camps are open to any GCS students who want to register. The day camps are free to attend, with food and transportation provided. Students spend each day of the seven-day camp exploring careers with a variety of simulators and trainers.
“I feel the [Realityworks] products give you more of a realistic simulation versus going out and actually using raw materials then wasting those raw materials if you’re messing up. You get to practice here and learn,” said Derrick Tabron, CTE Teacher.
In Camp WWE, students learn about power, structure, and technical systems. One of the tools used in this camp is the guideWELD® VR welding simulator. This simulator lets users refine basic welding skills. They can also learn proper welding techniques and explore in-demand welding careers while saving on costly consumables.
“You can use it to learn your skills to see if you can actually feel like you can succeed in [welding] as a career,” Celia McDowell, a GCS student, said about the welding simulator. “You can see if you have a passion and interest in it.”
GCS is measuring the success of the camps through enrollment numbers, student surveys, and increased interest/registration for CTE courses in the fall. They also surveyed the teachers to see if they learned new skills as well.
“These items that Realityworks provides help us to enhance the instruction,” said Mc Ham. “It helps us to kind of bridge that gap between the industry and education, and we want to make sure that we’re providing these experiences for our students.”
Additional Resources
Looking for more resources and activities to help students explore welding careers?
- Take advantage of the buy 3, get 1 free promotion on our welding simulators
- See how you can implement 21st century welding solutions into your classroom on our implementation page
- Learn about how you can help today’s students develop interest in potential careers by watching this webinar:
