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Dillard 8th Graders Explore Skilled Trades Through Be Pro Be Proud Mobile Career Lab

Trained tour ambassadors guided students, answered questions, and highlighted the wide range of high‑paying, high‑demand careers available in the skilled trades — many of which do not require a four‑year degree.

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Dillard 8th Graders Explore Skilled Trades Through Be Pro Be Proud Mobile Career Lab
Photo courtesy of N.L. Dillard Middle School / Local eighth graders recently enjoyed Virtual Reality experiences in HVAC, electrical work, fiber optics, and heavy‑equipment operation.

N.L. Dillard Middle School’s 8th grade students had an exciting opportunity on May 20, 2026, as they stepped inside the Be Pro Be Proud mobile career‑exploration truck — a state‑of‑the‑art, 53‑foot workforce development lab designed to introduce young people to high‑demand skilled trades through hands‑on, immersive experiences.

Photo courtesy of N.L. Dillard Middle School / A state‑of‑the‑art, 53‑foot workforce development lab designed to introduce young people to high‑demand skilled trades through hands‑on, immersive experiences was on campus May 20.

The Be Pro Be Proud initiative, a statewide effort to strengthen the future workforce, brings advanced simulators and virtual reality (VR) technology directly to schools. Inside the mobile lab, students engaged with interactive stations that replicate real‑world tasks in fields such as construction, manufacturing, transportation, utilities, and robotics.

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