Articles
Attempts to enthuse young people about careers in engineering cannot start soon enough. That’s why at SolidWorks we are committed to helping schools, colleges and universities to enhance the learning experience by including 3D design software within their curricula.
For several years, SolidWorks has operated a heavily subsidised, non-profit business model within education, making our software available to all. This has proved a phenomenally successful approach.
At the latest count, more than 25,000 academic institutions around the world were using our software to teach engineering to an estimated 2.5 million students, from the age of nine upwards. We want to see those figures continue to rise.
I’m amazed by the technical capabilities of the students who are using our software to design, analyse and simulate and to bring their ideas to life. The evolution of smartphones and touchscreen tablets means that kids are tuned into technology from an early age. They are comfortable working in the digital environment and have no fear about taking on new knowledge and experiences. And this is resulting in smart online communities – I often see older students mentoring younger colleagues to push forward their 3D projects.
Many of the students are developing their software expertise to really decent levels. Certification has become important, and some students have progressed to become certified SolidWorks associates. Others have become certified Sustainable design associates, proving that they really understand the terminology behind greener design.
Some students have reached the pinnacle of certification, attaining certified SolidWorks professional status. That proves they can combine theory and applied practice to an exceptional degree, enhancing their career prospects by showing that they are ready to start work as a design engineer.
In some countries, the experience of students using our software is having a definite effect on the curriculum at university level. Ireland is a world leader when it comes to the use of software in high schools and colleges, with students benefiting from learning core geometry and product design skills. As a result, universities have had to change their engineering curriculum because undergraduates have been up-skilled to such an extent and are so well-prepared in these areas.
Social media is also helping to carry forward the momentum of what has been achieved with engineering software in schools. Last May SolidWorks set up a Facebook page which has already attracted 84,000 fans. It is a place where students can show off the models they have been working on, enabling them to come together with peers from all over the world.
Recently one student posted his work on the development of a green car – it attracted more than 200 comments in just a matter of days. These online communities are proving to be a fantastic resource.
So what does SolidWorks get out of its education activities? That comes in customer loyalty – the students learn to love our software and hopefully continue using it as they develop their careers.
But there’s more to it than that. We want companies already using our software to benefit from having a flow of talented, experienced young engineers coming out of academia.
Primarily, though, it is about making education fun again. I find it sad that by the age of about six or seven many students stop taking home their school work to show their parents what they have achieved. As time goes by, learning becomes too academic.
We want to reintroduce creativity into the curriculum – and the way to do that is to enable students to create what they visualise. That is the greatest reward.