{"id":967313,"date":"2026-07-29T18:17:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T18:17:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/967313\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T18:17:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T18:17:15","slug":"skilled-trades-on-wheels-mobile-lab-brings-hands-on-career-demos-to-jacksonville-area-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/967313\/","title":{"rendered":"Skilled trades on wheels: Mobile lab brings hands-on career demos to Jacksonville-area students"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\"><strong>JACKSONVILLE, Fla.<\/strong> \u2013 As employers across the country search for more skilled trade workers, a national nonprofit is rolling a solution straight to students. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Be Pro Be Proud is bringing its mobile learning lab to Northeast Florida, giving middle- and high-school students a hands-on look at careers they might not have considered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">When field trips, job shadowing and in-person career exploration aren\u2019t always possible, the mobile lab aims to bring the experience directly to kids \u2014 letting them try the work, not just hear about it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">During a visit with PAL (Jacksonville\u2019s Police Athletic League) on Monument Road in Arlington, Reggie LaGrone, with Be Pro Be Proud, said the program is focused on reaching students early, before they\u2019ve locked into a single idea of what a \u201cgood job\u201d looks like.<\/p>\n<p>During a visit with PAL (Jacksonville\u2019s Police Athletic League) on Monument Road in Arlington, Reggie LaGrone, with Be Pro Be Proud, said the program is focused on reaching students early, before they\u2019ve locked into a single idea of what a \u201cgood job\u201d looks like. (Ciara Earrey\/News4JAX)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cWe\u2019re targeting 8th graders, ages 13 on up through high school,\u201d LaGrone said. \u201cSometimes we get some as low as 6th and 7th grade.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Students with PAL toured Georgia\u2019s Be Pro Be Proud mobile lab \u2014 brought to town for the week \u2014 and sampled multiple careers through simulations and interactive stations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Some of the demos included:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Plumbing<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Diesel\/transportation careers (including driving simulators)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Virtual reality experiences tied to skilled trades \u2014 including bridge demolition and even medical-style simulations<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Career pathways connected to construction and the ongoing housing demand<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">LaGrone acknowledged that students might not pick a trade career until they understand how essential (and wide-ranging) those careers really are.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking with the students, Reggie LaGrone, with Be Pro Be Proud, connected everyday life back to skilled trades, explaining that the goods we wear and eat have to move across the country, so diesel and logistics careers are behind more of our daily routine than they realize. (Ciara Earrey\/News4JAX)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cNobody wants to be a plumber, but everybody needs the service of a plumber,\u201d LaGrone said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">LaGrone said each region\u2019s workforce needs can shape what students gravitate toward. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">In South Georgia, for example, agriculture can drive interest in farming-related careers, while other areas might see stronger pull toward construction, transportation or other trades, LaGrone said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Speaking with the students, LaGrone connected everyday life back to skilled trades, explaining that the goods we wear and eat have to move across the country, so diesel and logistics careers are behind more of our daily routine than they realize.<\/p>\n<p>Students with PAL toured Georgia\u2019s Be Pro Be Proud mobile lab \u2014 brought to town for the week \u2014 and sampled multiple careers through simulations and interactive stations. (Ciara Earrey\/News4JAX)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">He also stressed that demand is already there, including in housing with a 30 million home shortage across the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">His bottom-line message to students: \u201cWhere there\u2019s need, there\u2019s an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">And those opportunities can mean a steady, often high-paying career.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cYou\u2019re always going to do well,\u201d LaGrone said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Be Pro Be Proud\u2019s Mobile Learning Lab is coming to North Florida shortly after Labor Day with support from WareWorks, a local nonprofit focused on building interest, access and pathways into skilled trades. <\/p>\n<p>Be Pro Be Proud is bringing its mobile learning lab to Northeast Florida, giving middle- and high-school students a hands-on look at careers they might not have considered. (Ciara Earrey\/News4JAX)<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 As employers across the country search for more skilled trade workers, a national nonprofit is&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":967314,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5136],"tags":[5229,388531,64,16778,718,407,3188,723,7310,420,6459,63223,353856,377283,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,377284],"class_list":["post-967313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jacksonville","tag-america","tag-be-pro-be-proud","tag-business","tag-careers","tag-community","tag-education","tag-fl","tag-florida","tag-jacksonville","tag-jobs","tag-money","tag-skilled-trades","tag-trade-skills","tag-trade-up","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa","tag-wareworks"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117004641860265631","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/967313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=967313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/967313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/967314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=967313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=967313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=967313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}