CareerVXR and KCTCS ask for $1.8M pilot to bring VR career exploration to Kentucky classrooms

Matt Shosie, CEO and cofounder of CareerVXR, and Tennelle Sawyer, chief external impact officer at KCTCS, asked the subcommittee to fund a two-year, $1.8 million pilot to expand immersive career-exploration tools to Kentucky middle and high school students and KCTCS learners.

Shosie said CareerVXR delivers web-based virtual tours and 360-degree virtual reality videos that let students observe "real people performing real work in real environments," and argued that Kentucky faces an "awareness gap" where students do not see local career options. He told the committee the platform already supports schools in 25 states and can run on common classroom devices.

KCTCS said it would serve as a strategic implementation partner. Sawyer told the committee KCTCS would prioritize alignment across higher education, K–12 and business and industry partners, using colleges, employers and regional networks to create talent pathways.

Shosie said the pilot would distribute VR headsets via a lending-library model, produce Kentucky-based content with KCTCS and regional employer partners, and aim to impact 50,000–60,000 students across three identified regions. He said the pilot model in North Dakota expanded from a 2023 middle/high school deployment to statewide coverage by 2025 and that CareerVXR has secured private-sector matching commitments in other deployments.

Representative McCool asked about initial cost and whether campuses were identified. Shosie said the initial request is $1,800,000 and that funding is being requested through the KCTCS budget. Sawyer listed targeted campuses and regions as Hazard Community and Technical College (and surrounding counties), Southeast Community and Technical College (and surrounding counties), and Western Kentucky.

No committee action or vote was recorded; the committee scheduled its next meeting. The pilot request will proceed via KCTCS's budgeting and review process.