A Blueprint for Every State: How North Dakota Is Bridging the Career Awareness Gap
The heartland’s innovation hub is showing the nation how to connect curiosity with opportunity through accessible immersive tech for all students.
Case Study: ND Region III Mobile Career Exploration Classroom
How CareerViewXR is Helping Drive Workforce Retention in North Dakota’s Lake Region.
The Challenge
North Dakota’s Region III, also nicknamed the state’s Lake Region, sits near the northeastern corner of the state. This region is home to over 36,000 people across 6 counties: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette, and Towner. These counties feature various urban, rural, and tribal communities. The North Central Planning Council (NCPC), the region’s economic development council, is responsible for coordinating and facilitating economic and social opportunities for its residents. Their board of directors is comprised of representatives from across the region, including the Spirit Lake Tribe, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, and regional businesses. Despite being representatives from different locations with different backgrounds and skills, the topic of workforce recruitment and retention is on all their minds.
To help tackle workforce issues head on, NCPC submitted a very unique Regional Workforce Impact Program (RWIP) project proposal to the ND Department of Commerce. Their idea? Purchase a custom van to act as their “Mobile Career Exploration Classroom” (MCEC) and produce virtual reality field trips of careers available in the region. The purpose behind their project was to help local high school students consider the great variety of career opportunities available in their backyards in Region III. Retaining local youth with in-demand careers will result in positive growth of local businesses and towns.
Sandy Shively, Executive Director of NCPC, said the organization led the coordination and grant-writing efforts and emphasized the collaborative nature of the project. “Through months of meetings, we sifted through numerous ideas and finally settled on the idea of the mobile classroom and utilizing CareerViewXR,” Shively said. “Our partners were instrumental in securing the match funding that made the application possible.”
To help this project succeed, NCPC partnered up with Cavalier County JDA, Benson County JDA, Foward Devils Lake, New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation, Towner County EDC, and local employers. Their project proposal was accepted, resulting in $342,784 received from RWIP and $107,526 from local donations.
The Challenge (CONT.)
With a cool, custom van on the way from local van company (and CareerViewXR Production Partner) Vanna Adventure Vans, NCPC and their partners needed someone dedicated to bringing the Mobile Career Exploration Classroom to students in urban, rural, and tribal areas of Region III. They chose to bring on Ann Pollert, local workforce enthusiast, as their career coach.
“It has been so rewarding being part of the MCEC project! Students really get excited about the opportunity to use the VR Goggles to view Career Experiences.” shared Ann. “Some students spend a significant amount of time watching experiences while others may only watch one or two. Students like to share with other students what they saw in their experiences while they are preparing to leave the van.”
Ann is the founder of AMP Consulting and has a passion for helping others find their perfect career fit. She has also previously collaborated with the Devils Lake Chamber of Commerce on a North Dakota RWIP grant project, leading efforts to retain high school and college students in the Lake Region area through job fairs, guidance sessions, job shadows, and more.
When asked about her interest in workforce development, Ann started,“I often tell people that I am so passionate about career exploring because I wish that I would have had the opportunity to do it when I was in high school!” She continued, “The opportunities that students have these days are really great and it is very rewarding for me to help students and also to connect students to businesses and businesses to students.”
Prior to focusing on AMP Consulting and career coaching, Ann served as the Director of Workforce Development for General Equipment and Supplies Inc. Along with her passion and past experience, her being a native to the Lakes Region made her the perfect fit to drive NCPC’s project. Ann shared,“I spent a decade recruiting diesel students, always trying in small ways to help every student I interacted with but really promoting diesel. Through the MCEC, I get to really help students explore options, ideas—I get to help them think and dream about their future.”
Why CareerViewXR?
CareerViewXR offered an ideal solution for the MCEC van: immersive career exploration that could be brought anywhere! By integrating the platform into the Mobile Career Exploration Classroom, Ann could bring dozens of real-world career environments directly to students, regardless of school size or location. CareerViewXR allows learners to virtually step inside real workplaces and understand the skills required for success, all in a way that feels engaging and accessible. With CareerViewXR videos preloaded onto VR headsets, they were ready to roll anywhere in the region, no Wi-Fi required.
For Ann, CareerViewXR aligned perfectly with her mission to inspire students while strengthening ties between education, industry, and community. She shared, “CareerViewXR gives students a true experience—it lets them really feel what different professions are really like. I love starting with a simple question like, ‘What’s your favorite class?’ and using that as a start to explore options. Some students already have career ideas, while others just need time and exploration. I especially enjoy the moment when a student says, ‘I’ve never thought about that as a career.’” Ann continued, “Beyond CVXR, I love connecting students with local businesses for job shadows, work co-ops, or even just tours and conversations. My goal is for students to see the incredible opportunities here in the Devils Lake area—and to feel that we genuinely want them to stay and build their future here.”
Shannon Duerr, Executive Director of the Cavalier County Job Development Authority, emphasized the importance of career exposure as a workforce strategy in rural communities, “Workforce is a critical issue across North Dakota, but the challenge is often felt most deeply in rural areas where attracting new residents can be difficult. In a place like Cavalier County, one of the most effective strategies we have is growing our own.”
Reflecting on the impact of immersive learning through CareerViewXR, Duerr added, “From our experience in the early CareerViewXR pilot, where students could virtually explore a wind turbine technician’s job from the top of a tower, we saw how powerful it was to give access to careers that would otherwise be difficult or unsafe to shadow”. Duerr continued, “The Mobile Career Exploration Classroom builds on that success by giving students the chance to see themselves in careers right here at home—a powerful long-term solution. And when combined with programs like Career Builders, it not only sparks career interest early but also creates a pathway for students to stay and thrive in our communities.”
Custom Career Content
In addition to the benefits of the standard platform subscription, the CareerViewXR team’s ability to create custom content highlighting a selection of careers available at local businesses was a bonus. Organizations that participated in the regional videos were: Choice Bank, Otter Tail Power Company, Sioux Manufacturing, Lake Region Ambulance Service, Cavalier County Sheriff's Department, and the City of New Rockford. Four of the custom videos were adapted into standard CareerViewXR field trips to be enjoyed by all subscribers. Those experiences are: Rural Ambulance Services, Sheriff's Deputy, 911 Operator, and Municipal Worker.
As a production partner for one immersive field trip experience, New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation (NRABC) collaborated with Be More Colorful on the project. Amanda Hegland, Executive Director of NRABC, shared, “Working with Be More Colorful to make the career video was a fun and easy process. I think it’s great that we can showcase the available careers we have in our own communities. This lets students know there’s opportunity, right here in their own backyard!”
Get a Look Behind the Wheel
Immediate Impact
The use of CareerViewXR transformed the student experience in Region III schools. Rural and tribal students who had never had the chance to visit certain industries could now explore them virtually from the comfort of the MCEC. For Ann, the platform provided a way to make every visit with the Mobile Career Exploration Classroom more impactful, ensuring that even a single interaction could spark new interest and awareness of regional career paths.
For students and educators, the project has been both exciting and eye-opening. Here are just a few of the quotes gathered in response to the MCEC, career coach Ann Pollert, and CareerViewXR:
Results & Future Plans
Results from the RWIP-supported initiative are positive on many fronts. Employers benefit from increased visibility, while schools gain an engaging and unique career exploration tool.
Brady Ash, Executive Director at Forward Devils Lake Corporation, reflected on the long-term value of the MCEC and its impact on students and the broader community. “One major impact that the MCEC has had, from what I’ve noticed, is the doors it opens for students of all ages. Job shadows, narrowing down a major/program in college, the Career Builders Program with the North Dakota University System. All of these align with presenting the opportunities that are in front of the students in their everyday lives.”
Ash also noted the wider ripple effects seen by local stakeholders. “Business owners, parents, and community leaders see the positive impact this is having. While this isn’t an instant impact, it’s a shapeshifter for years to come. We are very lucky to have someone like Ann do this for our students!”
“The MCEC has been a great tool to get students to think about what Region 3 can offer them for a career. Not every student is college bound, but there is no reason they can't have a successful career living close to home." Added Sandy Shively, Executive Director of NCPC.
Moving forward, the North Central Planning Council and their collaborators plan to continue the use of CareerViewXR in the regions’ schools and deepen partnerships with local businesses. The long-term vision is clear: equip students with knowledge, inspire them with possibilities, and ultimately retain more young talent in North Dakota’s communities.
Immersive Career Exploration Graduate Course
Immerse yourself in innovative career exploration with our graduate-level professional development course on Virtual Reality (VR) for Career Exploration. This course is open to all curious educators in the United States and beyond!
Partner Spotlight: Ann Pollert to Present at ACTE's CareerTech Vision
CareerViewXR will be featured as a part of workforce enthusiast Ann Pollert's presentation at ACTE’s CareerTech Vision 2025! Ann's impactful session is happening during the conference happening December 9th-12th, 2025 in Nashville, TN.