Engineering schools CAD education- or the lack there of
In the last few years we have been seeing a new “feeder” group coming into the CAD program. In general, we train-teach existing engineers, drafters and designers who average 10 years experience and in many cases have multiple degrees. Before 1990, we had 80% of our feeders from the local High School drafting programs. Now, only about 10% of our program caters to recent high school graduates. But, we now get some recent college graduates who cannot land a job. This is a new feeder stream not seen previously.
Engineering school graduates from some of the nations top schools have been showing up- frustrated that no one will hire them because they cannot “do anything”. They cannot design with any of the CAD systems used in local industry. Many of them take over a year to get their first job. Others, may get a job, but must be immediately trained in CAD at a high cost to the company.
One young man had recently graduated as a mechanical engineer. He took one engineering graphics class which used a seldom found in industry 2- 2 ½ D CAD system. He stated that “bozocad” is not used anywhere in local industry so how was he to get a job? Besides, 40 hours on software that was two years out-of-date was next to useless. After 6 months taking 5 classes in Pro/E he is now employed.
