Can Immersive Tech Bridge the Gap Between STEM Classrooms and Skilled Careers?

“For students, we wrap the core simulations in story-driven challenges…For working adults, we tune those same modules to real procedures and decision-making.”

Josh Hanes, CEO & President of Uplift Aerospace

The future of education may arrive not through textbooks or standardized tests, but through simulations that feel real enough to touch. Across the United States, schools and workforce programs are exploring how immersive technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence can better prepare learners for technical careers. These tools promise more than engagement. They are being developed as bridges between classroom instruction and real-world skill-building.

Uplift Aerospace, a space technology company based in Utah, is one of the organizations taking this idea seriously. After years of developing advanced training simulations for commercial astronauts, the company recently launched a dedicated edtech division, Starborn Academy. Its goal is to bring immersive learning tools to both K–12 students and adult learners preparing for careers in aerospace, trades, and other technical fields.

Early feedback from schools has been positive. In pilot programs, over sixty percent of students said they became more aware of STEM careers. More than half expressed new interest in working in science or technology.

These outcomes reflect a larger opportunity. Many students and job seekers never reach the industries where their potential could be most valuable. Lack of access, poor alignment between education and employment, and outdated training methods all play a role. Tools that can simulate high-stakes environments, personalize instruction, and spark long-term interest could shift that pattern.

As Uplift’s education model expands, it raises a critical question. Can immersive technology not only improve how people learn, but also widen who gets to participate? The answer will depend on more than innovation. It will require coordination across schools, employers, and policymakers to ensure these tools support real progress. Uplift’s journey from spaceflight training to classroom adoption offers a lens on what that process might look like in practice.

Josh Hanes, CEO and president of Uplift Aerospace, is an accomplished executive with experience managing multimillion-dollar equity funds and large-scale real estate investments. As former COO of Reef Life Foundation, he oversaw major reef restoration projects in the Caribbean.

A graduate in physics from the University of Utah, Hanes began his career developing advanced propulsion concepts with Dr. Steve Howe. His combined expertise in finance, operations, and space technology positions Uplift Aerospace as a leader in the industry’s next frontier.

Uplift Aerospace builds its earliest virtual reality simulations to prepare commercial astronauts for missions beyond Earth. These immersive environments replicate launch sequences, system failures, and problem-solving protocols with a level of realism designed to support high-stakes training. The technology functions as a rehearsal space for procedures that cannot be practiced in real time.

When the company brings these simulations into school outreach programs, something shifts. Students step into the astronaut training environments and immediately begin engaging with complex STEM ideas in ways that feel intuitive and hands-on. What might feel abstract on paper, like system design, engineering trade-offs, or problem sequencing, starts to click when delivered through simulated scenarios.

“We first began using virtual reality to train commercial astronauts… It wasn’t part of our original roadmap, but it became clear we had a powerful tool for inspiring the next generation,” says Josh Hanes, founder and CEO of Uplift Aerospace.

That insight leads to something more deliberate. Uplift creates Starborn Academy, a VR-based education initiative that introduces students to science and technology through narrative-driven modules. The simulations are crafted to spark curiosity, build foundational skills, and offer a sense of immersion in real problem-solving environments. “Our philosophy is simple: start with awe, fuel curiosity, and the academic growth will follow,” Hanes explains.

This initiative grows into a full edtech division. Uplift begins building tools not as digital supplements to lectures, but as standalone learning experiences that reflect real professional settings. Each simulation invites learners to interact with challenges, make decisions, and reflect on outcomes, just as they would in a job setting.

The response in classrooms confirms what the outreach events suggest. Immersive environments, when well-structured, do more than capture attention. They offer students a new kind of access to ideas, skills, and the possibility of seeing themselves in the roles they explore.

Uplift’s simulations are not one-size-fits-all. As the education division expands, the team begins refining its tools to serve two distinct audiences. In K–12 classrooms, students encounter interactive scenarios wrapped in stories that promote exploration and foundational skill-building. In workforce settings, those same simulations evolve into performance-based modules focused on real procedures, decision-making, and measurable competency.

“For students, we wrap the core simulations in story-driven challenges… For working adults, we tune those same modules to real procedures and decision-making,” says Josh Hanes.

This modular structure allows the content to stretch across very different learning contexts without losing effectiveness. A scenario that teaches system troubleshooting in a fictional spacecraft might introduce critical thinking to a seventh grader in Utah. That same simulation, when adapted with industry-specific tasks and metrics, becomes a tool for training technicians in aerospace or advanced manufacturing.

The approach supports a broader goal: building adaptable learning systems that prepare people for work that requires precision, initiative, and technical literacy.

“Because the modules are industry-agnostic, they can be adapted to any sector,” Hanes explains.

This flexibility positions Uplift’s platform as more than a STEM introduction for young students. It functions as an applied training framework that can reach adult learners who are reskilling, entering apprenticeships, or preparing for certifications. Each module reinforces not just content knowledge, but the habits of thinking and decision-making that apply in real jobs.

By designing for both classrooms and career pathways, Uplift aims to connect learners to opportunity earlier and more effectively. The platform is not built to track seat time or screen clicks. It is meant to simulate the demands of real environments and allow learners to build confidence before they ever step into one.

As immersive education tools begin reaching classrooms, their long-term value depends on more than design. Impact at scale requires integration into real systems. Uplift’s rollout strategy reflects this understanding. The company builds its education platform in collaboration with school districts, workforce boards, and state-level partners who help ensure the tools are tied to actual pathways—both academic and professional.

These partnerships play a central role in the platform’s reach. In Utah, the Salt Lake City School District adopts Starborn Academy across all middle schools, making immersive STEM training part of the regular classroom experience. Similar implementations begin in parts of Colorado and California, where the emphasis is not just on exposure to science and technology, but on preparing students for what comes next.

“State-level partnerships are key—especially those that link education with workforce development priorities,” says Hanes. “By aligning with school districts, workforce boards, and industry leaders, we can create pathways… ensuring our programs address both student engagement and industry skill gaps.”

This alignment shapes how the platform is developed. Rather than focus solely on STEM standards or curricular requirements, the modules are designed to reflect the competencies that employers value. Students might learn about thermal systems or circuitry through a storyline, while adult learners engage with the same technical challenges in a format that mirrors certification testing or job simulations.

By working across sectors, Uplift avoids the trap of delivering short-term engagement without follow-through. Instead, the platform supports a structure where learning continues into action. School systems gain tools that modernize STEM instruction, workforce boards gain resources that improve job readiness, and learners gain experiences that connect classroom content to career potential.

The model does not depend on novelty to sustain interest. It functions as a framework that other education and training systems can adopt and localize. That flexibility is essential as states look to strengthen their talent pipelines in fast-moving industries.

Immersive technology alone does not solve the challenges facing education or workforce development. But when built with purpose and deployed through strategic partnerships, it becomes a tool with the potential to shift how learners engage, prepare, and advance. Uplift Aerospace’s model offers one example of how this shift can take root, starting in middle school classrooms and extending into adult training programs built for real-world impact.

The early results show signs of what is possible when students are given opportunities to experience STEM fields in ways that feel active, personal, and meaningful. Virtual simulations bring abstract ideas into focus. AI-enabled modules offer personalized pacing and feedback. More importantly, when these tools are connected to schools, employers, and public systems, they begin to operate as part of a larger pipeline—one that reaches learners where they are and moves them toward actual roles in critical industries.

“We measure success by what students do after the headset comes off,” says Josh Hanes. “One of our favorite moments came from a school librarian who told us every single book on space exploration had been checked out after students participated in Starborn Academy. That kind of self-directed learning—driven by curiosity—is exactly what we aim for.”

As the demand for technical talent continues to grow, the need for accessible, scalable training models becomes more urgent. Immersive platforms cannot replace strong instruction or mentorship, but they can help close the distance between learning and doing. When students see themselves in the environments they are studying, and when job seekers can rehearse decisions before taking them into the field, the result is an enduring impact.

Uplift’s work is still developing, but the framework it builds points toward something durable. By focusing on fundamental skills, real systems, and real access, immersive technology may help turn curiosity into career preparation and inspiration into opportunity.