Career Lab

The Immersive Career Exploration Lab is designed to fit a variety of settings — from large community events to classroom-based learning. Each format offers a unique way to engage students and participants in hands-on, technology-driven career exploration.

Open Trailer Events
Perfect for community events, career fairs, or campus visits, these sessions invite participants to freely explore the Immersive Career Exploration trailer.

• Parked in an easily accessible area with an open-door format
• All experiences inside the trailer are available for use
• Quick, high-energy interactions (10–15 minutes per user)
• Accommodates approximately 20–25 users per hour

Closed Events
Designed for classroom or group learning, these structured sessions provide more focused, guided experiences.

• Coordinated in advance by a teacher, counselor, or event organizer
• Trailer use optional — sessions can also be hosted in gyms or large indoor spaces
• Ideal for utilizing the Transfr Trek Mobile platform (requires teacher coordination prior to event)
• Longer engagement per user (typically 10–20 minutes)
• Accommodates approximately 12–18 users per hour

Transfr Trek is designed to give a day-in-the-life experience of a wide range of careers and career clusters. Learners are guided by a diverse cast of virtual instructors to accomplish immersive, hands-on tasks in skilled trades. Each simulation is crafted by real world members of the trades to show accurate, real-life scenarios for learners to experience. 

Trek Mobile:

1. Coordination: Teachers or counselors provide a student roster for each participating class or day.
2. Setup: Student login credentials are created based on the roster.
3. Career Survey: Before the visit, students complete a short 23-question survey that helps identify their best-fit VR simulations, career options, and related resources.
4. Implementation: Once surveys are complete, the VR experience is delivered as scheduled—either in the trailer or in a designated classroom or large indoor space.

The Patterson Family Foundation has awarded Manhattan Area Technical College a $668,000 grant to help strengthen rural communities by building awareness and interest in skilled trades among students in grades 6–12. This investment supports industries that are the backbone of America’s economy and essential to the health and well-being of rural areas—fields like Welding, Construction/Carpentry, HVAC-R, Electrical, Automotive Services, and Industrial Machinery Mechanics.

With this funding, Manhattan Tech will expand opportunities for students in rural counties—including Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Marshall, Morris, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, and Wabaunsee—to explore and prepare for in-demand careers. Students will have the chance to earn industry-recognized credentials and even college credit at little to no cost, creating a direct pathway to certificates, degrees, and high-demand professions.

A key part of this initiative is the creation of a Mobile Technology Lab, equipped with virtual and augmented reality tools that bring hands-on career exploration directly to schools and communities. Teachers will also benefit through training, equipment, and mentoring from Manhattan Tech, enabling them to offer engaging, tech-enabled lessons in these high-demand fields.

The grant also encourages community involvement. Parents, school counselors, and local workforce specialists will have opportunities to participate in the VR and hands-on experiences, helping them better understand and promote these career paths to the next generation.