CAM education credentials

Autodesk, developers of 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, and the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) are partnering to develop the first set of industry recognized Computer Aided Manufacturing/Machining (CAM) standards and credentials. These standards and credentials will enhance education and training programs to meet 21st-century demands for skilled CAM programmers, designers and engineers, which will account for almost 100,000 new jobs by 2024.

To stay competitive, manufacturers must maintain high standards of production at efficient cost while meeting the ever-changing customer demands for their products. CAM allows manufacturers to efficiently adjust their processes to identify optimal production paths that decrease cycle times, reduce scrapped parts and materials, and improve the quality of finished parts. Skilled CAM programmers, designers and engineers with extensive education and training are in high demand to plan, manage and control these sophisticated and costly machines.

“Companies in technologically advanced industries are becoming more reliant on the use of information technology and automation through CAM software to develop high-value added products and materials. In the next decade, nearly a million jobs will require the technical skills needed to operate CAM software,” said NIMS Executive Director James Wall.

This partnership will support the development of CAM training programs by creating industry standards for educating and training CAM programmers. To develop these standards, Autodesk and NIMS recruited industry leaders to participate in a Technical Work Group. The Technical Work Group kick-off meeting was held at AutoDesk Headquarters in San Francisco, June 10–11, 2015. Industry experts from major companies including Google, NASA, DMG / MORI Seiki USA, HAAS Automation, Delcam, Parker Hannifin/Sandia National Laboratory, and Monkey Likes Shiny participated in the session and will lead the Technical Work Group.

“CAM software is changing the way companies approach business processes and how educational institutions teach the next generation of programmers and engineers. It is critical that the skills and knowledge of industry leaders be captured in standards that will serve as the basis for training and educating the future CAM manufacturing workforce,” said Jeff Tiedeken, owner, Monkey Likes Shiny.

After development of the skills standards, NIMS will conduct a rigorous national validation process, holding regional reviews of the standards by industrial professionals, before releasing the standards to the public.

Autodesk
www.autodesk.com

NIMS
www.nims-skills.org