By David N. Krough, TJJD Communications —
You’ll notice that while stepping into Amando Bautista’s auto repair shop class that there are no cars, no greasy hands and no tools – aside from some goggles and a joystick.
Bautista is the Virtual Reality Facilitator for the new automotive repair course at Lone Star South High School at the Evins Regional Juvenile Center.
Every day his students strap on the Oculus Quest 2 headsets for an immersion into the virtual mechanic shop as a part of their 12-week course toward an Automotive Service Excellence certification (ASE.)
The class is the first to use virtual reality at TJJD, which promises to expand options for youth because it can replicate shop work without requiring extensive on-site space or tools.
The curriculum comes from the Vehicles For Change Full Circle Auto Repair and Training Center’s internship program, which helps people find jobs in the auto industry.
VFC started in Maryland in 1999 to repair donated cars and award them to local families in need of personal transportation. The organization also operates two of their own repair shops in Maryland.
As for the repair training, the Full Circle Auto program, using virtual reality simulators, is geared toward students who may face potential barriers in employment. It works in several states with people just released from prison.
TJJD is one of the first such agencies to offer the program in a youth facility.
In Maryland, FCA claims a 95% placement rate and a 90% retention rate for ASE-certified individuals who enter the workforce as tire and lube technicians.
Training includes oil changes, tire and battery replacement, hose, fluid and brake repairs and vehicle inspections.
“With the certification, they’re able to seek employment from Walmart, Midas, Brake Check – anyplace that does basic maintenance (like) oil changes and tire rotation,” Bautista said. “The simple entry things that get done at an oil change facility or a tire shop.”
The first class was held Monday, Oct. 6. There are currently five students enrolled at a time in the 12-week program and all must have or be in the process of getting their GED or diploma.
Even in the first week of class, enthusiasm was already building for this evolving method of vocational education.
“We’re off to a great start we have a lot of interest you know a lot of kids want to get into it already so we’re like, ‘wait your turn!’” Lone Star South Principal Steve Van Nest said.
Lone Star School District Assistant Superintendent Robert Fischer first found out about VFC after seeing the presentation by their team at a corrections conference in Washington D.C. last Winter. It seemed like a great idea to introduce their program to youth at TJJD.
“I was very interested in the virtual reality from what they were showing. I was like, ‘oh, my God, we could do this,’” Fischer said.
Fischer said he spent about two hours looking at the VR equipment and software.
“I put the headset on and I did an oil change on their program and I was just like, we have got to look at this,” he said. “It was reasonably priced. I got to know the CEO and his second in command. We ended up talking two or three times during the week and basically that’s how we got started.
After meeting with Superintendent Shelley McKinley and the Lone Star School principals, the VFC team did a demo. TJJD education staff worked out with the Information Technology Department (IT) how it would work inside the gate with all of the security measures and cybersecurity at the facilities.
It took a few months to iron out some snags in the technology to enable the VR testers to access the Internet from inside the closed environment, but Fischer said TJJD’s IT teams were “amazing” in their ability to quickly address that issue.
The VR program is launched by a desktop computer, connected by Bluetooth to each student’s headset and controller.
The classroom lights are dimmed for a better view of the screen, on which each student’s simulation is shown so that the instructor can follow along on their progress.
Once up and running, the program allows students to go around the “shop” and make it into a real live scenario where they can grab virtual tools and perform repairs in line with the class software.
Van Nest said he knew the kids would be excited about the new vocational offering.
“We have construction tech and a wood shop and a horticulture shop and we have a lot of computer graphic arts and design, but that’s the only really vocational stuff we have, so that’s really a no-brainer to expand our vocational offerings and certifications that they can get.”
The five headsets and software from VFC are licensed out on a yearly basis. The course for certification takes about 12 weeks.
“We can use a license with more than one kid,” Fischer said. “It’s not more than one kid at the same time. So once the kid finishes, then we can pop another kid on that same license until it expires.”
That will allow a lot more eager TJJD youth to get a chance at taking the VFC course.
“We’re going to try and get them through maybe as fast as eight weeks, but we’re not going to rush,” Van Nest said. “(It) should be 12 weeks or less, then we get another five (students).”
The next step is arranging for the youth to take the ASE certification test outside of the facilities, something Fischer said they will be getting help from the VFC team to coordinate.
Van Nest said he hopes that with the right permissions and cooperation from local businesses, that they can hook students up with a nearby shop and at least watch the professionals do the job.
“Maybe let the kids get involved … that way they could know that ‘wow this is real I could actually do this it’s not just virtual. I could actually go into a shop, align a front end, change the oil take the brakes off’ … I think that would add a lot too,” he said.
Lone Star HS South at Evins is the first to have the VR training classroom, but everyone from administrators to students and staff are excited about its potential.
“I heard good things (about the course) and (it’s) a great opportunity to take advantage of it and learn new things,” youth R.D. said.
“This is a pilot program,” Fischer said. “If we decide we want to go expand it to the rest of the campuses, which is probably pretty likely, then we’ll have to go through a solicitation process.”
For now, students are lined up to qualify for what is seen as an exciting new way to prepare for employment after their time with TJJD.
“The certification was my interest and (I’ll) have more resources when I go home – I can have more options,” Youth C.O. said.
“They have to sacrifice some kind of time and they know they’ll get a lifetime learning experience,” Bautista said. “This is going to go with them throughout their lives. They understand that and the kids we have qualified for the program … know they want to make a change and they’re willing to take that extra step.”
“It’s very important to do that to show them that you care, have high expectations … (and that) we believe in you and give (youth) something tangible,” Van Nest said. “This fits in that narrative really well. We’re doing it for you, take your time. The kids are really excited about it.”