Southeastern Community College Receives $1.7 Million Worth of CAD/CAM Software
Southeastern Community College (SCC) in
Iowa has received a donation of CAD/CAM software valued at more than $1.7
million and will use it to train students in design and advanced manufacturing.
The CimatronE computer-aided design
(CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software is used by mold, tool and
die makers, as well as manufacturers of discrete parts. SCC will integrate the
software into the curriculum for its Associate of Applied Science in Computer
Assisted Drafting and Advanced Manufacturing degrees.
"This will elevate the status of SCC among prospective students and employers
as a college on the cutting edge of CAD/CAM," said Michael Ash, president of
SCC, in a prepared statement.
Iowa is home to industries such as energy, pharmaceutical, food processing
and plastics. According to Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic
Development Authority (IEDA), manufacturing is one the biggest industries in the
state, and "the percentage of the state's GDP derived from manufacturing has
consistently ranked in the top 10 in the country," she said in a prepared
statement.
The donation to SCC is intended to foster future growth in the state's
manufacturing industry by providing students from high school through college
with training in CAD/CAM software to help meet "the increasing demand for
manufacturing expertise by companies in Iowa," according to a news release from
Cimatron.
SCC is based in West Burlington, Iowa, and has additional campuses in Keokuk,
Fort Madison, Mount Pleasant and Burlington. The CimatronE software donation to
SCC was facilitated by the Lee County Economic Development Group, which helps
foster development and employment in the county.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].