Sophomores at Baldwyn High School traded their classroom desks for welding simulators and virtual reality headsets Monday, when the Big Ideas Mobile Learning Lab stopped on campus to give students a hands-on look at skilled trades careers. The visit is part of a fall tour that is bringing the lab to high schools across Northeast Mississippi.
The Baldwyn School District shared on Facebook that its 10th graders worked through augmented and virtual reality stations, as well as WoodED carpentry tables and transfer sets, completing real tasks tied to trades that pay a living wage.
How the Baldwyn High skilled trades lab works
The Big Ideas lab is a converted trailer built to let students try out careers in about an hour. According to the program, the experience is built around a handful of immersive stations:
Welding: an augmented reality welding simulator lets students practice a weld without sparks or heat.
Crane operation: a simulator puts students in the seat of heavy lifting equipment.
Industrial coating and painting: students practice spray techniques used in manufacturing.
Career exploration: VR headsets let students sample more than 30 skilled trades, complete tasks and get feedback on how they did.
Baldwyn sophomore Kaden Agnew told WTVA the experience opened his eyes. “It was very interesting and creative. It showed me a lot of things that I can be in life,” he said.
Second year for the Northeast Mississippi tour
This is the lab’s second fall visiting the region. Big Ideas, a Minnesota-based nonprofit, partners with local school districts and employers to show students paths into the trades that do not require a traditional four-year degree.
This year’s tour began Sept. 22 in Pontotoc and runs through Nov. 20. Organizers say it will reach more than 3,500 students at 42 high schools in 19 school districts across 10 counties. The lab’s next stop after Baldwyn is East Union High School on Tuesday.
The program is presented by the Toyota Wellspring Education Fund at the CREATE Foundation, Toyota Mississippi and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Local industry partners listed for the tour include Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, Ashley Furniture, B&B Concrete, Caterpillar, FORGE, Itawamba Community College and Mission Forest.
“Through Big Ideas, we bring skilled trades to life through innovative, immersive experiences that allow students to explore careers in a way that is hands-on, engaging and relevant,” Big Ideas Executive Director Deb Loverude said when the tour was announced.
Why it matters for Prentiss County
Manufacturers across Northeast Mississippi continue to look for welders, machine operators, technicians and other skilled workers. Programs like this aim to put those careers on students’ radar early, while they still have time to pick career-tech classes, dual-enrollment courses or workforce training that can lead directly to a job after graduation.
Students interested in the trades can also look into career and technical programs at their high school and workforce training offered through Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville and Corinth.
Jon R Myers is the executive editor of Alcorn County News and the founder of the Mississippi News Group, which he started in 2013 to cover communities across North Mississippi. He also founded the Mississippi Sports Group in 2006, which grew from a single community publication into a statewide network covering high school and college athletics. He reports on local government, public safety, schools and community life in Corinth and Alcorn County, working from public meetings, agency records and interviews with the people involved. Contact him at editor@alcornnewsms.com with news tips or corrections. For a correction, include the article link and supporting source material.
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