Northcentral unveils virtual reality project for career fairs

Northcentral Electric Cooperative will unveil its latest project for students interested in cooperative careers at The Bridging the Gap Career Fair taking place at the Landers Center in Southaven on Tuesday, Oct. 18 and Wednesday, Oct. 19. 

The virtual reality project will give students a first-person view as immersive videos show what it’s like to operate digging equipment, connect electric equipment to existing power lines, splice fiber optic cable, and even rescue an electrical shock victim in a bucket truck.  The project was developed by Northcentral’s communications department in their effort to better showcase careers in the public power.

“We’re excited to give students a whole new look into what our construction and engineering personnel do on a daily basis,” says Michael Bellipanni, Marketing and Business Development Director at Northcentral. “If these students like what they see in a virtual environment, then we are able to point them in the right direction to get their careers started early.” 

Headsets will show 360-degree videos that allow students to see the heights and possible dangers of working around high-voltage lines.  This was achieved by attaching 360-degree cameras on the hard hats of employees working in the field.

Northcentral Electric Cooperative will incorporate these headsets in career fair presentations for schools in their service area of DeSoto, Marshall, Tate, and Lafayette counties.  Presentations already include interactive stations where students can observe an active electrical circuit and operate tools that linemen use every day.