Where will all the drafters go?

[Jeepin]

I do know what you mean there lass, i had a complete career change 12 years ago now, I went from a profesional musician to draffy (by the way I wasn't in a rock band playing in pubs I gigged in orchestras before anyone asks) The trouble is getting in the back door is somewhat a long road and sometimes quite often blocked by some people. I also would like to go to college but as I've a family I'm not able to take time out from work without loseing pay and the night schools option is very limited.

maybe one day I'll get there.

I'm in the same boat. I started 6 yrs ago and was extremely lucky. I have an owner that believes in training within. Because of this I have went from red lind drafting to project manager. I am still trying to get a degree, but heck one class at a time! You may want to try working for a smaller firm, that may help.

[CGM]

No posting without the required minimum of 3 cups of coffee.

Donovan's first rule of Vault installations: The likelyhood of a network installation commiting fubar in a new and unexpected manner increases exponentially with each additional person in a company’s I.T. Dept.

Hi Donovan.cox,
I like the sig' line.

I've been looking for a translation of that 'f' word ever since "Saving Private Ryan", when the translator can't find the word in his German dictionary. Being keen on languages (check out my links below) I wondered long 'n hard about this one. Seeing it today, made me check it on a link I got recently from Wanderer.

Thanks you two,

ps. Drafting skills are still valid today, but do insist on further training for any staff who still do just pure drafting. By the time my class of '86 hits 50 years of age, I don't see much employment prospects for those of us with 30 years of drafting experience, but with no idea about BIM. ~my 2 cents of a euro~

[Brian Myers]

By the time my class of '86 hits 50 years of age, I don't see much employment prospects for those of us with 30 years of drafting experience, but with no idea about BIM. ~my 2 cents of a euro~

That's going to be true for anyone that works in the mainstream architecture fields. There will be some hold-overs that find they don't need 3D design/drawings, but even they will need a basic understanding of moving around inside a parametric digital model. The key here is that just 15 years ago 99% of the people were using 2D and 85% of these individuals were using AutoCAD in DOS. A large number of architecture types were still designing/drafting on the boards. Imagine what the next 15 years will bring? If history tells us anything, 85% of the people will be using parametric models in one form or another, 60-70% will likely still be using an Autodesk product of some type in an Architectural environment. Not only that, but the data will be able to be shared more easily between programs (if not 100% compatible) which is why Autodesk's industry share will be decreased.

So where will the drafters go? They'll spread out and use their experience in different non-drafting fields. Already we're seeing those with degrees spreading into fields that otherwise we wouldn't think about. From software to project management for builders and companies. Jobs ranging from Sales to Q/A will be filled with individuals that in the past would be doing design work and now will be filling other roles typically filled today by those with other experience and education.

It won't be a question of "where will all the drafters go", it will be a question of "where will those without an education in the field go" as they'll have a very difficult struggle to break into the field flooded with the top students/students with contacts and those with 1-2 decades of experience.

[seven_tech]

I have been doing this since...well 1990 and I have heard that the "drafter" is going to be obsolete in a few years ever since. Well, I have moved up more and more over the years and done just about everything Architecture, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, and structural. The one thing that has stayed constant is every few months as I move up in the company someone has to take my place. I started out just doing redlines and as I got into the design I no longer had time to do all the redlines from everybody so someone fresh out of school was hired in my place. Then a company comes along and offers me a higher position so now the redline drafter that took my place gets bumped up in my previous company and guess what? the previous company now has to hire a red line "drafter". And the circle of cadd life continues.

[todd.69291]

I have now migrated two companies over to Revit. There is a big shift of responsibility. The work load balance of drafters to Architects was 80/20. Now it has flipped. Now I am using 20/80 (sometimes 0/100) for Revit projects. One our latest projects was done in two phases. Tower 1 used 2 1/2 staff to complete the project. Now I have used only one Architect in the same amount of time. Our need for drafters may never go away cause I will always need 2D drafting. The industry will have 2D cad companies for maybe another 10 years or so. Send all the drafters over to the companies that we get our 3D content from. What happened to all the horse and buggies manufacturers?

[mom of 3]

Then a company comes along and offers me a higher position so now the redline drafter that took my place gets bumped up in my previous company and guess what? the previous company now has to hire a red line "drafter". And the circle of cadd life continues.

That is more of the situation I've seen as well........someone's gotta do the redlines.
I don't see drafters going anywhere, but it also depends on how much skill the younger engineers are learning. Some that I've met would rather stay away from the drafting side & stick with what they were trained for, but some, I've noticed, would rather do all of it themselves.

[jonathanschade]

This is an issue that is dear to my heart. I started out as strictly a drafter some 27+ years ago B.C. (before computers) One of the problems with the industry right now (and I am speaking of ALL of the building/construction industries) is the poor quality of submitted drawings. Schools are turning out CAD operators - people who know how to turn the computer on and maybe draw lines. Unfortunately these people do not understand what the lines that they draw represent.
I do worry about the state of drafting. I am currently a CADD manager for a mid-sized Architectural firm (90+) everyone here has an architectural degree (but me). Most of these people would not know how to lay out a drawing on a piece of paper if they had to. Most of them don't know how to work without computers.
I hate to sound like an "old fart" but truth be told, I am getting long in the tooth for this profession. There was a post not that long ago that suggested that anyone over 35 was a "dinosaur". Well guess what? I am and proud of it!
I look forward to retirement, in another 20 years. I am fearfully of what the future will bring. Oh well!

[Railrose]

This is an issue that is dear to my heart. I started out as strictly a drafter some 27+ years ago B.C. (before computers) One of the problems with the industry right now (and I am speaking of ALL of the building/construction industries) is the poor quality of submitted drawings. Schools are turning out CAD operators - people who know how to turn the computer on and maybe draw lines. Unfortunately these people do not understand what the lines that they draw represent.
I do worry about the state of drafting. I am currently a CADD manager for a mid-sized Architectural firm (90+) everyone here has an architectural degree (but me). Most of these people would not know how to lay out a drawing on a piece of paper if they had to. Most of them don't know how to work without computers.
I hate to sound like an "old fart" but truth be told, I am getting long in the tooth for this profession. There was a post not that long ago that suggested that anyone over 35 was a "dinosaur". Well guess what? I am and proud of it!
I look forward to retirement, in another 20 years. I am fearfully of what the future will bring. Oh well!

I started out on the board, as well & proud of it. I believe drafters should have some board time before working on computer. It teaches some of the heritage & an appreciation for the evolution.

[jaberwok]

This is an issue that is dear to my heart. I started out as strictly a drafter some 27+ years ago B.C. (before computers) One of the problems with the industry right now (and I am speaking of ALL of the building/construction industries) is the poor quality of submitted drawings. Schools are turning out CAD operators - people who know how to turn the computer on and maybe draw lines. Unfortunately these people do not understand what the lines that they draw represent.

FWIW, it's the same in engineering.

[david_peterson]

I started out on the board, as well & proud of it. I believe drafters should have some board time before working on computer. It teaches some of the heritage & an appreciation for the evolution.

I sit on the advisory board for out local tech college. We meet with the instructors about every 6 mths. Every meeting they ask "Do we still want to teach board drafting?". We always have (and most likly always will) tell them yes. If you have to erase something by hand and re-do it, you learn much faster on what order you should do things in as well as how to make a better looking set of docs.