From the drawing board to the CAD world - Launch of vocational training for new occupations in the technical design field

Today, the work of technical draftsmen is required anytime a new product - be it a hairdryer, automobile or machine tool - has to be conceived, designed or fabricated. However the good, old drawing board is a thing of the past. Instead, modern CAD (computer-aided design) technology and two-dimensional and three-dimensional design have been the standard for some time now.

In response to technological and organisational changes in work flows and processes that must be taken into account in initial vocational training, the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) has developed in conjunction with experts from the social partners and representatives of Germany's states two new, highly-modern training occupations (occupations which require completion of formal vocational training) in the design field.

The new training regulations for the occupations Technical Product Designer and Technical System Planner went into effect on August 1. They will supersede the 'old' training for the occupation Engineering Draftsman. Last year some 3,000 trainees signed new training contracts for initial vocational training in this field. Female trainees account for nearly 40 per cent of this group.

Two new design occupations will step into the shoes, so to speak, of the occupation Engineering Draftsman. These new occupations are closely linked with one another because they share much of the same training content during the first year of training. Starting in the second year, different areas of specialisation are offered for each of the two occupations.

Technical product designers generate 3-D data sets and technical documentation for the manufacture of products. This is done with the help of computer-aided design programmes and according to design specifications and customer requirements:

The work of technical system planners revolves primarily around designing technical equipment for buildings and plants. Technical system planners also work with CAD programmes to develop the technical documents for manufacturing and assembling equipment and systems for building services. Technical system planners focus on different trades, depending on their field of specialisation.