SolidWorks expands support for SkillsUSA nationwide student competition
Both state and national high school and college winners received 3D CAD software to fuel engineering interest and prepare for professional careers
CONCORD, Mass., June 5, 2006 ? SolidWorks Corporation has expanded its support for the national SkillsUSA Championships by donating SolidWorks® Student Edition software to the high school and college winners for the CAD competitions in each state and four additional U.S. territories. The increased sponsorship underscores the company's commitment to building a strong engineering workforce.
Founded in 1965, SkillsUSA is a partnership of high school and college students and teachers, as well as industry representatives, all working together to ensure America has an ample supply of skilled employees in the trade, technical, and skilled service occupations, including health occupations. Every year, SkillsUSA hosts a series of contests in which high school and college students train for and compete at the school, district, regional, state, and national levels in a variety of subjects. More than 4,600 contestants participated in 80 different events last year. Previously, SolidWorks donated software to the few national winners in the CAD competition. The company is now extending its award sponsorship to the state level, providing SolidWorks 3D CAD software to high school and college winners for up to six CAD disciplines in 50 states and four additional territories.
?An important part of SkillsUSA's mission is to help students be more employable,? said Ada Kranenberg, SkillsUSA Championships program director. ?Industry involvement helps set the bar for student skills. SolidWorks' expanded sponsorship is an investment in its future workforce, and the greater community.?
SolidWorks Corporation invests heavily in education initiatives to ensure tomorrow's engineers have the skills to compete in the global market. SolidWorks is the software of choice for more academic institutions and engineering schools than any other 3D design software. More than one million students at more than 10,000 institutions worldwide receive SolidWorks training every year.
Minuteman Regional High School is a four-year public vocational-technical institution located in Lexington, Mass. It has been teaching SolidWorks since 1999, and some of its students have used SolidWorks in previous SkillsUSA competitions. ?Many of the companies that participated in work study programs requested that students had 2D AutoCAD skills,? said Paul Goodhue, drafting, pre-engineering instructor at Minuteman. ?Now they're asking for SolidWorks experience. It is a good teaching tool because it's so intuitive that it lets students convey their ideas in 3D.?
Marie Planchard, SolidWorks Corporation's director of education, said, ?This is a broad forum for engineering students to showcase their talents by applying what they've learned to both practical and theoretical applications. SolidWorks is proud to help reward students for their excellence, and to cultivate the enthusiasm that sustains the engineering community.?
About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA, formerly known as VICA, is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. The organization helps students excel by teaching leadership skills that augment their careers and technical skills training. More than 1,000 corporations, trade associations, businesses, and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA on a national level through financial aid, in-kind contributions, and involvement of their people in SkillsUSA activities. This year, SkillsUSA had more than 284,000 student and instructor members nationwide in high school and college career and technical education programs. It has served nine million members since its founding in 1965. For more information, visit www.SkillsUSA.org.
About SolidWorks Powered by the Dassault Systèmes 3DExperience Platform, SolidWorks 3D applications help millions of engineers and designers succeed through innovation. SolidWorks delivers an intuitive experience in product design, simulation, publishing, data management, and environmental impact assessment. For the latest news, information, or an online demonstration, visit our Web site (www.3ds.com/solidworks) or call 1-800-693-9000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-693-9000 (outside of North America, call +1-781-810-5011). About Dassault Systèmes Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, provides business and people with virtual universes to imagine sustainable innovations. Its world-leading solutions transform the way products are designed, produced, and supported. Dassault Systèmes’ collaborative solutions foster social innovation, expanding possibilities for the virtual world to improve the real world. The group brings value to over 150,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 140 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com. CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, SIMULIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA, GEOVIA, EXALEAD, NETVIBES, 3DSWYM and 3DVIA are registered trademarks of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries. SolidWorks is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation in the US and other countries. 3DVIA is a registered trademark and 3DVIA Composer is a trademark of Dassault Systèmes in the US and other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. © 2012 Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.
