Dunwoody College of Technology Launches First-of-Its-Kind Program for High School Students to Close the Skilled Trades Gap

Dunwoody Immersive will bring college-level, VR-powered coursework into Minnesota high school classrooms this fall

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunwoody College of Technology today announced the launch of Dunwoody Immersive, a first-of-its-kind dual-credit program that brings college-level skilled trades education directly into Minnesota high school classrooms. Using mixed and virtual reality technology, the program blends online coursework with mixed-reality labs, offering a new solution to the skilled trades gap and a path into skilled trades careers without requiring students to leave their high school campus. These first-semester intro courses were designed to get students started on a skilled-trades degree pathway.

This fall, Dunwoody Immersive is piloting two courses, DC Circuit Fundamentals and Early Global Architecture, at six Minnesota school districts and charter schools: Edina Virtual Pathways, Eden Prairie Schools, Wayzata Public Schools, White Bear Lake School District, Avalon School, and Hermantown Community Schools. Each course was designed around skilled trades and technical career pathways, including advanced manufacturing, construction, robotics, and architecture.

"Dunwoody Immersive is an innovative solution to a problem that we've all been talking about for too long," said Scott Stallman, Ph.D., president of Dunwoody College of Technology. "By leveraging technology and partnering with industry, we can increase access and opportunity at a time when students are starting to explore their options."

For every five workers who retire from manufacturing, construction and other skilled trades, only two replacements enter the workforce. By 2030, an estimated 2.1 million skilled trades jobs could go unfilled, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Few dual-credit options lead to these high-pay, high-demand fields, largely because the labs and equipment they require are cost-prohibitive for many high schools.

"We built Dunwoody Immersive because a student's ZIP code shouldn't decide whether they get a shot at a high-paying career in the skilled trades," said Cindy Olson, vice president of enrollment management at Dunwoody College of Technology. "This closes that gap."

Dunwoody Immersive combines dual-credit and PSEO with the flexibility of online learning, while preserving the hands-on, applied instruction central to a true technical education. Each 14- to 16-week course blends gamification, 2D and 3D visuals, and mixed and virtual reality labs and simulations. Students who complete a course earn both high school and college credit.

"Hands-on learning is central to the Dunwoody approach, and we wanted Immersive students to have that same experience," said Brad Hosack, chief operating officer of Dunwoody Immersive. "This isn't VR for the sake of VR. It's VR because it lets students safely try things they'd never get to do in a real lab."

"We're excited to be among the first to offer this innovative dual-credit opportunity with Dunwoody," said Eden Prairie Schools Superintendent Dr. Josh Swanson. "Our mission is to inspire each student every day, and an important part of that is creating authentic opportunities for students to explore their interests, discover their strengths, and begin imagining what might be possible for their future. Through Dunwoody Immersive, students can explore fields like DC electricity and architecture, experience college-level learning without leaving our campus, and earn college credit along the way. Partnerships like this allow us to expand when, where, and how learning happens while connecting students with real-world skills, experiences, and pathways for what comes next."

"At Graco, we see firsthand the growing demand for skilled technical talent and the importance of creating more pathways into the trades," said Angie Wordell,  Executive Vice President of Graco, one of the initiative's supporting partners. "We're proud to support a program that helps prepare the next generation of skilled workers while reinforcing Minnesota's leadership in technical education and manufacturing."

Dunwoody Immersive launches this fall. More information about the program is available at dunwoody.edu/immersive.

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ABOUT DUNWOODY IMMERSIVE
Dunwoody Immersive is an innovative dual-credit program that brings college-level technical education into high school classrooms through mixed reality, gamified learning, and interactive experiences. Developed by Dunwoody College of Technology, a leader in hands-on applied education, the program provides students with industry exposure to high-pay, high-demand careers in the skilled trades and technical fields while earning college credit. By combining extended/mixed reality (XR/MR), creative problem-solving, and real-world learning, Dunwoody Immersive helps develop the next generation of workforce-ready innovators, critical thinkers, and problem-solvers.

ABOUT DUNWOODY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
Founded in 1914, Dunwoody College of Technology is the only private, not-for-profit technical college in the Upper Midwest. Having provided hands-on, applied technical education to more than 200,000 individuals, Dunwoody is the college for experimenters and makers, a place where the curious and the confident learn by doing.

Located in Minneapolis, Dunwoody offers a unique campus experience in dedicated labs, studios, and shops that treat students like future professionals from day one.

With certificates, associates, and bachelor's degrees in more than 40 majors — including engineering, robotics, design and other STEM-related fields — Dunwoody challenges students to come determined and graduate destined.

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SOURCE Dunwoody College of Technology