HOUSTON (Dec. 19, 07) - Consider the possibilities. A one-year CAD operator's certificate course at North Harris College (soon to be Lone Star College-North Harris) combined with a strong national and international demand for computer-assisted design operators, what could be better for new high school grads or career changers?
CAD operators will find a variety of challenging assignments, not to mention the rewards of being part of a design team for a new high-rise, a network of highways or pre-fabricated construction...and this is just the first step toward career opportunities where the sky's the limit
"Completing our one-year CAD operator certificate literally opens the door into the drafting environment," said Larry Brillhart, professor of engineering design graphics. "Because many of our students want to move to the next level, we also offer an additional year of training to prepare them for architectural engineering technology, mechanical engineering technology and pre-engineered metal building drafting and design."
Brillhart recommended the one-year CAD program for individuals who think they want a career in engineering graphics. "This certification program allows them to enter the field - at entry level - and once they're in jobs where they can use their CAD skills and decide this is what they're interested in doing, they have a head start on a two-year degree, plus if they want to move ahead in their training, many of these credits can be carried into engineering technology, construction management or architecture."
During the one-year program, students study basic drafting, basic CAD, a first-semester discipline in construction or manufacturing, basic structural drafting and other skills. "These courses prepare our students to take an architect's or engineer's sketch and produce working drawings to be used in the next step of the process," Brillhart said.
He calls local demand the tip of the iceberg for national and international demand. "We have more calls from employers wanting students than we have students to send to them," he admitted, "and many of our students work for architectural and engineering firms while they're training with us."
In the Greater Houston area, entry-level salaries for CAD operators range from $12 to $14 an hour. Those salaries double when operators complete the two-year Associate Degree program. "Those completing our two-year degree can make around $45,000 a year," Brillhart pointed out. "With the one-year CAD certificate, they'll know basic drafting, computer-aided drafting and basic employment skills. They won't be making a salary to support a family, but for those starting out; it's a way to get your foot in the door. As you get closer to completing the degree, the opportunities and the salaries are much greater."
The successful CAD operator is multi-faceted with a sense of artistic skills, good spatial visualization and a certain amount of mechanical aptitude.
"Someone who has taken high school shop classes or worked in their father's shop would be a good CAD operator candidate," Brillhart said. "We also find those with some kind of hands-on mechanical aptitude, good visualization skills and the ability to do basic math are successful in CAD operation."
Currently, the one-year CAD certificate program has no entry requirements, other than a desire to learn. However, by the fall semester of 2008, Brillhart said entering students will be tested for technical math or college level algebra. "We'll also test for spatial visualization and mechanical aptitude so we may use the results as an advisement tool," Brillhart continued. "This type of testing is being used by numerous universities in their architectural and engineering programs."
Lone Star College-North Harris is located at 2700 W.W. Thorne Drive, one-half mile south of FM 1960 East, between Aldine-Westfield and Hardy Roads. For more information about the college, call 281.618.5400 or visit http://www.northharriscollege.com/.
Lone Star College System consists of five colleges, including Cy-Fair, Kingwood, Montgomery, North Harris, and Tomball, six centers and Lone Star College-University Center. With 49,250 students, it is the largest college system in the Houston area, and third largest community college district in Texas. To learn more, visit www.nhmccd.edu.
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