t4 Technology Subjects Support Service

The Challenge

The Irish Department of Education and Skills took a major step toward preparing students to succeed by undertaking a nationwide effort to implement 3D parametric CAD technology in second-level schools. The Irish government formalized its technology curriculum and tasked t4 Technology Subjects Support Service, the teacher support and training division for technology education under the Teacher Education Section of the Irish Department of Education and Skills, with implementing 3D parametric CAD.

The Solution

After evaluating proposals from leading CAD companies, the Department of Education and Skills chose SolidWorks® Education Edition software—acquiring 25,000 licenses—because its intuitive interface enables students to quickly grasp design and engineering principles, which allows them to spend more time on class work and less time learning to use the software. By selecting SolidWorks, t4 provided 3D CAD access to 142,000 students, trained 1,410 teachers in 3D CAD, enhanced teaching and learning significantly, and better prepared students for technical careers.