Butler Vo-Tech Welding student Noah Kison uses the VRTEX a Virtual simulator that helps students practice on Monday April 2, 2018.

The 45 students this semester in Dave Peters' three sessions of the class have to prove their skills in virtual reality before they apply paint to a vehicle in the real world.

Butler Vo-Tech Executive Director Kurt Speicher, said students in both the vo-tech's welding and collision repair courses have been using virtual reality simulations to gain experience this semester. .

Peters, who has been teaching collision repair for 14 years, said the school has been using the virtual reality paint sprayer for seven years.

The simulated sprayer has the dimension and feel of real equipment and but allows them to cut painting costs.

Peters said cutting down paint costs is important because the class works on damaged cars and trucks brought in by their owners.

Speicher said the results of the virtual reality lessons in the collision repair class led the school to get a welding simulator as well.

Read the full story in the Butler Eagle.