NUAST becomes Auto Desk Fusion 360 trainer

One of only a handful of school providers (Whole School - 27/01/2017)

NUAST has now become an official Fusion training centre. Fusion is an industry standard 3D CAD/CAM tool meaning that once students are qualified, they are able to use software that will greatly benefit them going forward into their chosen industry.

This is the first time that NUAST has provided this training, giving students a valuable extra skill to use alongside their studies. By becoming an official provider it also means that NUAST can now train teachers and outside trainees as well as the school's own students.

As a result of the one day training course students will become competent in CAD to a higher and more accurate standard which will prove invaluable when they continue onto university or work. So far over 70 students at NUAST have completed the training including every engineering student in KS4 and KS5.

Initially the school's Year 10s took an eight hour course but due to the high quality of their results, they have now been invited to take an ACU Exam which will involve four months of training to become an Autodesk Certified User.

There are only a few schools in the country that are Fusion 360 training providers, so this is a great opportunity that NUAST can now offer.

The course is led by Assistant Principal Jim Smith who says: “The students have learned how to use Fusion really quickly and Autodesk have been really impressed with the level of work our students have produced.

"Computer Aided Design is a fundamental skill in engineering design and without question the students progress, achievement and understanding in engineering will benefit massively.”

This project-based training provides a scaffolded learning experience in which students develop and apply their knowledge and skills to a real-world design challenge. It includes step-by-step software tutorials, an instructor presentation, a step-by-step guide, a lesson plan, training syllabus, and quiz.

Congratulations to all students that have completed this training so far and to such a high standard.