Peebles students try virtual reality careers with OhioMeansJobs

Peebles Jr. Sr. High School students stepped into virtual reality on May 12, trying out career simulations from OhioMeansJobs that turned a classroom visit into a job-skills exercise. The program brought up to six headsets to the Adams County Ohio Valley School District school and preloaded experiences in fields such as healthcare and engineering, giving students a chance to see the decisions and tasks tied to in-demand work.

The demonstration fit a broader workforce message that goes beyond novelty. OhioMeansJobs K-12, the state’s no-cost career planning system for grades 6 through 12, lets students explore interests and in-demand jobs, build résumés, search for college and training programs, create a budget and map academic and career plans. For Adams County students, that means career exploration is being tied directly to the steps that can move them from high school into training or work.

OhioMeansJobs also describes itself as Ohio’s free online career counseling center, connecting businesses to job seekers and providing career services statewide. That makes the Peebles stop part of a larger effort to show students how different career paths line up with real openings, whether they lead into college, technical training or straight into the labor market.

The county has already seen a similar push elsewhere. On April 8, West Union High School students in Ms. Butler’s Careers classes took part in a virtual reality career exploration demonstration hosted by the OhioMeansJobs Adams & Brown County office. That session exposed students to skilled trades, healthcare and other in-demand industries, reinforcing the idea that the same regional workforce system is reaching more than one school.

OhioMeansJobs has also connected students with employers in a more traditional setting. A recent job fair drew nearly 300 students from Adams County Ohio Valley School District and Manchester Local School District, while 29 companies and organizations shared information with them. That mix of job fair recruiting, online career planning and VR simulations suggests OhioMeansJobs is treating Adams County as a place where career exposure starts early and can lead to concrete next steps.

For Peebles students, the takeaway was not just what a headset can do. It was a preview of how healthcare, engineering and other in-demand fields are being presented as practical options, with OhioMeansJobs building the pipeline from school to training to work.