The American Welding Society predicts a need for 360,000 new welders by 2027. Agricultural education teachers who teach agricultural mechanics courses are in a unique position to train their students to eventually fill these positions. However, sometimes they lack the confidence in their own welding skills needed to properly and safely teach their students. One way to build confidence in teachers is to use Virtual Reality welding trainers prior to practicing live welding in a laboratory setting. This workshop discusses benefits of Virtual Reality trainers, options available for teachers and teacher educators, and strategies to implement this technology in both the secondary and postsecondary classroom.
