ABOVE: Martin County West student Grant Koehnen uses an augmented reality welding simulator on Wednesday in the Big Ideas Mobile Learning Lab in Sherburn. The lab visited Sherburn for the first time on Wednesday and allowed high school students an opportunity to experience different trades.

SHERBURN– On Wednesday Martin County West High School (MCW) was visited by a mobile educational program which gave approximately 50 students enrolled in MCW’s introductory agriculture course an opportunity to try working in a particular trade.

The Big Ideas Mobile Learning Lab is a semitrailer that contains several simulators which emulate the experience of working in a particular industry. The purpose of the visit was to encourage interest in learning trades with a larger goal of addressing a shortage of skilled workers in the area.

“I think it’s an opportunity for every kid to get to see what opportunities there are in the trades. Sometimes kids are afraid to take some of these classes for an entire semester… all of (the participants) will be able to see the areas that are offered out here which is something we normally wouldn’ t be able to for every single one of those kids,” said Stephanie Wohlhuter, an agriculture teacher at MCW.

Andrew Kish is one of the instructors for Big Ideas who worked with students during the program. He emphasized how a workforce shifting away from agricultural and industrial sectors has led to fewer kids getting a chance to engage with trades. He believes the program allows students to dabble in a field they otherwise would not have.

“This gives our kids opportunities to try careers and different professions and see if they like it or are in tune with it,” said Kish.

The program has four different stations which offered a similar experience to using real equipment without the associated safety hazards or materials costs. Altogether the program included two augmented reality welding simulators, a heavy equipment operating simulator, a carpentry simulation table and several virtual reality headsets capable of simulated training for 23 different trades.

Almost all of these stations would not have been technologically feasible until very recently.

“It’s incredible, compared to three years ago this stuff was just up and coming and three years before that it wasn’t even possible, “ said Kish.

Hannah Rosenberg is a sophomore at MCW who attended the program.

“I enjoyed welding. It was hard at first but it was something that I could learn from,” said Rosenberg.

While Rosenberg is still considering her future career, she said her experience with the program was informative.

“I didn’t really consider (a career in the trades) before but it’s got my attention to maybe go look at it more,” said Rosenberg.

Grant Koehnen is a junior at MCW who is interested in a trade program after high school but has yet to decide on a particular area.

“I think all the (simulators) are a good crash course in what we could possibly do in the future,” said Koehnen.

Koehnen also believed the program helped other students better understand potential careers.

“I think it was a very good resource for us to have, especially now when doing (a trade) is a very needed thing in this area,” said Koehnen.

It cost approximately $4,000 to bring the the Big Ideas Mobile Learning Lab to MCW. Funding for the event came from a variety of sources outside the district including the Southwest West Central Service Cooperative, FFA alumni and the Fox Lake Conservation League. MCW partnered with Jackson County Central Schools to bring the lab to the area for the day; the lab had visited Jackson earlier that day.