What exactly is taught in current drafting classes?

[dkoch]

Speaking of which - does anyone remember the position of "D.O. Checker"?

[O.T. - excuse my ignorance but where is "Pgh" [besides being in Pennsylvania].

I assume he means Pittsburgh, a large city is western Pennsylvania.

[jaberwok]

I assume he means Pittsburgh, a large city is western Pennsylvania.

Thanks, David.
I guessed so but I've not come across that contraction before.

[dkoch]

Thanks, David.
I guessed so but I've not come across that contraction before.

To be honest, I was guessing, too. Thanks to Wikipedia, I now know that PGH is the station code for the train station in Pittsburgh.

[jaberwok]

I've just re-read this thread and would like to add a point.

I consider technical drawing to be a language - a means of conveying (efficiently) data, requirements and intent.
Learning to use CAD provides you with the "words" but only knowledge of the practical how and why gives you the "grammar".

[mitchellvoss]

One of the top schools for draftsman here in Nebraska still teaches hand drafting. You spend 6 months of the 18 month course hand drafting before moving on to Cad and Revit. Lettering sheets and running bluelines. Every class is a prerequisite to the next. Graduates are trained with basic knowledge of all disciplines. Drafters are typically hired for Architectural, Structural, Civil, and MEP. The curriculum is overseen by representatives from multiple local firms.

[BlackBox]

So today I just took the AutoCAD, and Civil 3D 2014 Professional certification exams (I passed both), but there was a guy behind me to the right of the lab who, from speaking with the receptionist before I left, didn't pass his Civil 3D exam... Again.

Now, I'm not so much knocking him (I don't know him, and frankly felt bad for him, his employer [the County] was footing the full price bill), but what stood out to my mind, is the receptionist's follow up about how they (an ATC) are on contract to provide ongoing training with the County he works for, and that this guy has been using C3D for years, and already received their essentials, and advanced user training each year.

Not sure what my facial expression must have looked like, and I get that just because something is taught well, doesn't mean it sticks... But I didn't think it spoke well of the quality of their fee-based training, to be diplomatic... And this is one of *the* largest training brands, imagine that, err... Well, never mind.

[duhvinci]

Congrats on your certs BB.

Some folks don't test well - that may be that fellow's problem.

[BlackBox]

Congrats on your certs BB.

Thank you, Sir!

/OffTopic

[CAD_Vader]

I agree with just about everything that's been said here. I do some caveats though. Your skills and technical knowledge are the two things that an employer look for. If you have both for the subject matter your are interviewing for, then you are a great candidate. However, there are instances where on the job training IS where you learn your technical knowledge. I know these are not the norm but go with me for a minute if you will.

In my professional career I have been an architectural, civil, oil piping, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, low voltage and telecommunications draftsman. In the spirit of full disclosure, I wasn't qualified with technical knowledge for any of the positions when I was hired. When I first started as an architectural draftsman I was fresh out of high school with 2 years of HS drafting classes (hand and CAD). My only experience with the construction of a building was my dads storage shed behind the house. 4.5 years later I was lead drafters in my company and completing jobs including wood and metal framing, steel construction, poured concrete, tilt up concrete, mason block wall, basements, commercial and residential and completing plan checks mostly on the first review if not direct first submittal.

MEP, civil and oil came while the market was terrible and it was take what you can get. For 3 years I was completing oil spill containment drawings and calculations, crude oil pipe delivery, signal flow and single line diagrams, air handling and steam distribution. My limited experience from the architecture is was allowed me to complete the MEP and civil, just the basic AutoCAD skills got me the job in the oil industry.

Now I'm working in low voltage technology and telecommunications. Again it was past experience and a desire for technology knowledge that landed me here. I had no previous telecom experience other than retail versions of switches and routers. I had no enterprise experience. So I would say that over the past 13 years all of my knowledge has been on the job training, but it has been my ability to adapt my cad skills to the job at hand that has made me successful.

So while I agree that there is a need for both technical knowledge and drafting skills, the technical knowledge can be taught/learned, as can the drafting skills, however if I am looking for someone to fill a drafting position, the first thing I look at is drafting experience, not technical knowledge.

P.S. I am currently on the interview panel for new drafters for our company. Of everyone that has applied for the position we have not received one person with telecommunications experience. The closest we have come is someone with P&ID, but still not even close. So I'm looking for the next best thing, someone that is teachable that has the CAD knowledge that will make them beneficial. I can teach you telecommunications, what I don't want is to teach you how to use paper space or how to change the plot style to the right one for the project.

Just my $1.50...my opinions are worth more than $.02...in my opinion.

[cadpro78]

I'm guessing I need to go to the some of the local schools and actually check out their curriculums, but it sure seems to me that the newest cad tech's aren't very adept at drafting, or using AutoCAD. In the past I have purposely hired 'drafters' with little to no experience because their schooling was decent enough that all I had to teach was the company stuff, AutoCAD commands and uses needed reminders not full on lessons. No past experience has typically translated to less issues learning a new way of doing things.

Some of my observations in the last 3 hires made in the past year, 2 of them were rookies and 1 was somewhat experienced:
Keyboard commands and command modifiers are nearly foreign concepts.
AutoCAD customization is a completely foreign concept.
Xrefs and block knowledge are extremely limited.
Drafting concepts are non-existent. Drawings are nearly impossible to read on the first pass.

When I went to school to become a Drafter, not a cad tech, I learned how to board draft, how to write (simple) lisps and customize my AutoCAD to work for me. I learned about and created block libraries, and learned how and why to use xrefs. These to me were some of the most important lessons I had. Sure seems to me that at least locally, someone is dropping the ball!

I agree - somewhat. I do agree that CAD drafter (CAD monkeys) of this century can't think for themselves when it comes to their manager telling to create 'ABC' design and instead they create 'XYZ' design. However, I don't think it is right to say they aren't very adept at utilizing AutoCAD or Revit or any CAD software since they are many ways (especially in today's software) to skin a cat. They may not need to use lisp files to do something. They may have learned in school how to do it faster.

In your post, you said you customized AutoCAD to work for YOU. Keyword there is you.