MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Some local middle and high school students may now be thinking about new potential career paths.
Students in Martinsville and Henry and Patrick County got to use virtual reality to learn about working on ships.
This was part of Engineering Week at the New College Institute in Martinsville.
The students worked with representatives from Old Dominion University and the Newport News Shipbuilding company.
"We have 14 regional suppliers for Newport News Shipbuilding right here in Southern Virginia. So it's not about sending our students and our talent away. It's about keeping our talent here," NCI Assistant Academics and Communication Director Melany Stowe said.
"Today, the students are coming through and they're visiting numerous stations, where we teach them about the different technologies that we are using at Newport News Shipbuilding," Newport News Engineering Design Manager Heather Westmoreland said.
There will be another opportunity for students and their families in November.
On Nov. 9, representatives from ODU will hold a family engineering day at the NCI.
Middle and high school students and their family members can compete in an engineering challenge.
For more information, contact the NCI at 276-403-5600.