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|Career Programs Index| |Academic Advising| |Class Schedule| |Real-time Seat Availability| |
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Today's designers/drafters and CAD technicians work in various businesses and industries. They prepare engineering drawings-including CAD drawings, parts lists, diagrams and related documents from layouts, sketches, notes, as well as executing detail drawings. Design professionals must perform algebraic and trigonometric calculations in graphic analysis and understand business and shop practices. Moraine Valley's CAD laboratory has the most modern equipment available, with state-of-the-art computers and CAD software. Much of your class time will be spent working on the computers, so you gain valuable hands-on experience to be well-prepared for a career in mechanical engineering design. Moraine Valley also is a Premier Authorized Training Center for Autodesk, a software leader in the CAD industry. Recent high school graduates may be eligible for college credit for selected vocational skills courses completed in high school. This program may be used for immediate employment or can be used toward a four year bachelors degree in engineering. If you are considering transferring to a four-year college or university to obtain a bachelor's degree using the courses from this program, make an appointment with the program coordinator or academic advisor to review your options. Nature of Work—The types of businesses that employ CAD drafters and designers are diverse and wide-ranging. They include architectural and mechanical design firms, engineering firms (civil, mechanical, etc.), graphic arts firms, construction companies, product design companies and manufacturing companies. Daily activities can range from computer drafting to 3-D design, depending on the skill level of the worker and type of work being performed. There are different stages in the design process, and the associate's degree graduate will be prepared to assist the engineering team in each and every phase. These stages can include the initial design and graphical prototyping, computer simulation, computer drafting, revision and production/manufacturing preparation. Related Job Title—Drafter, detailer, CAD operator, CAD technician, mechanical design technician, layout designer, lab technician. Related Programs—Mechanical Design and Drafting Certificate (33 credit hours), Mechanical Design CAD Certificate (23 credit hours), Architectural CAD Certificate (20 credit hours), 3-D CAD Certificate (20 credit hours), CAD Programming/Management Certificate (18 credit hours), and Computer Animation Certificate (20 credit hours) Employment Outlook—Employment of drafters is expected to increase 3 to 9 percent for all occupations through 2012. Industrial growth and increasingly complex design problems associated with new products and manufacturing processes will increase the demand for drafting services. Further, drafters are beginning to break out of the traditional drafting role and increasingly do work traditionally performed by engineers and architects, thus also increasing demand for drafters. Earnings for drafters vary by specialty and level of responsibility. Median annual earnings of architectural and civil drafters nationally were $37,330 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $30,170 and $45,500. Median annual earnings of mechanical drafters nationally were $40,730 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $32,100 and $51,950. Median annual earnings of electrical and electronics drafters nationally were $41,090 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $32,060 and $53,440. In Illinois, drafters were expected to experience one of the top annual openings of all associate's degree programs. It is forecast that there will be roughly 247 annual openings with a hourly wage for entry-level of $12.81 and, for experienced job-seekers, $22.71. According to the Weekly Job Report from the Moraine Valley Community College Job Placement Center, from July 2003 to June 2004, 21 full and part-time CAD positions were posted. The average salary offer for full-time positions was $13.50/hour ($27,000/year), with a maximum salary of $18/hour ($36,000/year) and a minimum salary of $10/hour ($20,000/year). Resources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2002-03 and Illinois Job Outlook in Brief 2002-2003. For job listings and job placement assistance, contact the Job Placement Center in the Center for Contemporary Technology, T904, (708) 974-5737. |
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In Moraine Valley Community College's Mechanical Design and Drafting Program, you will gain in-depth knowledge and experience in mechanical design and drafting. You will work with state-of-the-art computer and graphics software. Upon completion, you will be prepared for a career as a professional drafter, mechanical designer or computer-aided design (CAD) technician.
