Getting Started With a Career in CAD

Best CAD Training Opportunities and Schools

Mar 13, 2009 Beverly Hill

CAD has a growing variety of applications in almost every field imaginable. For someone that wants a strong career choice, consider Computer Aided Drafting.

Engineers, design professionals, and manufacturers have learned the value of using and developing technologies based on CAD, or Computer-Aided Drafting. This ever expanding field utilizes CAD for conceptual design and layout of virtual products, effectively eliminating the high cost of manufacturing a test product; creating architectural, construction, and building plans for contractors; planning mechanical, electrical, and plumbing layouts for builders and manufacturers; and all in a fraction of the time of what was once possible using 2 dimensional drafting practices.

So why seek a career in CAD drafting? The median salary for an entry-level CAD is approximately $40,000 per year, and it provides employment opportunities in almost every field. CAD is used in the medical and forensic science fields; for manufacture of aviation, automotive, and ship building; and 2D & 3D modeling of tools and machinery. CAD drafting has had an enormous impact on almost every field imaginable, and without it modern advancements would still be decades away.

The future of CAD is already moving forward, and students of CAD and Auto-CAD will be poised on the cutting edge of technology as 3D and Spatial 3-D holographic imaging replace 2D as the standard. In order to take full advantage of this, finding the right CAD drafting school is important, and one city stands out: Kansas City, Missouri is in the right location and has the right schools to help students learn the skills they'll need.

Best CAD Training Opportunities

Kansas City, Missouri, is one of the premier centers of engineering design in the country. Spanning 15 counties, the Kansas City Metropolitan Area is home to over 2 million residents, and in was recently voted one of the third best cities for relocation. Kansas City is in a state of transformation, and as such is a hot spot for engineers and architects.

Students enrolled at one of the many top-rated CAD drafting schools located throughout the city, often find work as interns or entry level employees at the numerous national and international firms located here such as Black & Veatch Corporation, Burns & McDonnell Engineering, HNTB Corporation, HOK Sport + Venue + Event, J.E. Dunn Construction Group, and Walton Construction. Upon graduation, they go on to obtain high-paying in demand jobs that are available.

One such college, the University of Kansas City Missouri, or UKCM, hosts students from 50 states and 62 countries, and offering nationally recognized academic programs. UKCM is committed to research and innovation, and it actively involved in the enrichment of the local communities. In April, 2008, $2,395,275 came in towards research for the college.

Other local colleges include Brown-Mackie College in Kansas City (Lenexa), offering courses in CAD + Drafting Technician, CAD + Drafting Technology; Kansas City KS Area Technical School with courses available on CAD, CADD Drafting and, or Design Technology, Technician; and Kansas City Kansas Community College offering Drafting and Design Technology, Technician. In addition to these are several trade schools and online colleges offering various CAD Training Classes.

The innovative developments that CAD will herald won't be possible without people trained to guide it. A career in CAD drafting and design will prove rewarding, not just on an individual level, but globally as well.

The copyright of the article Getting Started With a Career in CAD in Engineering is owned by Beverly Hill. Permission to republish Getting Started With a Career in CAD in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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