Workforce development initiatives can be difficult to arrange for communities in remote parts of Oregon. It can be expensive to hire outside providers for job training or career exploration opportunities, and time-consuming to send employees to outside training. One way to bridge the gap could be virtual reality headsets. Equipped with training simulations for industries like manufacturing, skilled trades and hospitality and tourism, the portable headsets could provide hands-on opportunities to more people at a lower cost over time.

Patti Hyatt is the school to careers counselor for the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce and Justin Chin is the dean of workforce development at Lane Community College. They join us to talk about how they’re using VR to bring career opportunities to rural areas near them.