If this situation wasn't so ironic, it just might qualify for as a top contender for the sick joke of the millenia list, so far.
This actually appeared on the local news channel as an item on the 6 pm broadcast today.
As most of you may be aware one way or another, there has arisen a major employee problem within the ranks of the skilled trades. Specifically, as many of the current generation of journeymen and women grow old and retire, there are few if any new replacements entering the pipeline to fill those openings.
Up here, the alliance of trades has recognized this problem and, in an attempt to attract potential new apprentices, they have combined their resources to create a mobile marketing exercise in the form of an exhibition vehicle that tours the province, visiting the various primary and middle school venues, and which offers hands on exercises for the kids to work with as means of encouraging juvenile interest in pursuing a skilled trades career. To facilitate the level of interaction being offered, several of trades have had virtual work scenarios created using VR equipment so that a visitor can don the headset and immediately be placed in a virtual setting that allows them to manipulate tools and fixtures to perform tasks that many of the skilled trades might undertake during the course of a workday.
Among the virtual scenarios being offered, there was one included which puts the participant in a welding booth with a MIG Gun and has them, virtually, making passes and assembling components.
Evidently, a group of students approached the display facilitator to ask what that particular VR scenario was about and when she responded that it was for welding, one kid just looked at her and asked, "What's a weld???"
Nick
This actually appeared on the local news channel as an item on the 6 pm broadcast today.
As most of you may be aware one way or another, there has arisen a major employee problem within the ranks of the skilled trades. Specifically, as many of the current generation of journeymen and women grow old and retire, there are few if any new replacements entering the pipeline to fill those openings.
Up here, the alliance of trades has recognized this problem and, in an attempt to attract potential new apprentices, they have combined their resources to create a mobile marketing exercise in the form of an exhibition vehicle that tours the province, visiting the various primary and middle school venues, and which offers hands on exercises for the kids to work with as means of encouraging juvenile interest in pursuing a skilled trades career. To facilitate the level of interaction being offered, several of trades have had virtual work scenarios created using VR equipment so that a visitor can don the headset and immediately be placed in a virtual setting that allows them to manipulate tools and fixtures to perform tasks that many of the skilled trades might undertake during the course of a workday.
Among the virtual scenarios being offered, there was one included which puts the participant in a welding booth with a MIG Gun and has them, virtually, making passes and assembling components.
Evidently, a group of students approached the display facilitator to ask what that particular VR scenario was about and when she responded that it was for welding, one kid just looked at her and asked, "What's a weld???"
Nick
