Japanese students learn 3D CAD to participate in the country’s excellence

In Japan, 3D CAD is an essential skill for engineering and design students. The country has a long history of manufacturing excellence, and 3D CAD is a crucial tool for producing high-quality products efficiently. Students in Japan are introduced to 3D CAD early on in their education, typically in high school or college. The curriculum emphasizes the importance of mastering the software to create detailed 3D models of products, buildings, and other structures. Using 3D modeling software, students can learn how to solve complex design problems and improve their analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Students’ skills are the key

Japanese industries are looking for skilled employees to maintain their position as global leaders in manufacturing and engineering. In recent years, there has been an increased focus on teaching 3D CAD to students in Japan’s vocational schools. This reflects the growing demand for skilled workers in construction, architecture, and product design.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (KOSEN), NARA COLLEGE is one of the colleges where 3D CAD is taught. It is located in Nara, Japan’s capital more than 1,300 years ago. This five-year college provides a unique and successful higher-education system for students from the age of 15 to 20. They offer a wide range of curricula from basic to project-based learning, which is close to industry, and fosters top-level practical and creative engineers needed in the industry. Yukinori TANIGUCHI and Atsushi SUDA, two 3D CAD associate professors from Nara College, are so passionate and convinced about the benefits of learning 3D CAD for students that they also give local kids the opportunity to learn 3D modeling and engineering outside the campus. They regularly offer and run SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids workshops to kids as an initiation to STEAM.

STEAM oriented Workshops

One of their SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids workshops, is a part of “Peer Instructing Education” as well as STEAM Education. The college students teach kids how to design in 3D and develop their creativity with fun. They showed them  SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids, which was fun and easy for kids to spark their ideas and let them build them in 3D. After having 3D printed  their models, kids painted them as they wanted. Some built a cube from a 2D developed figure, which made them understand cubic diagram and front-top-right planes.

The feedback they got from kids after the workshop was very positive: they all enjoyed 3D modeling and 3D printing.

Here are some quotes from kids:

• 3D modeling was so fun!
• It was the first time we used 3D printer and we did not know how to do it. I was able to understand it easily thanks to the college students who taught me so nicely.
• I was a beginner at modeling but so happy to create a “Santa Claus” as I wanted, with the kind guidance from the college students. They made my day!
• It was so much fun. I was able to create what I wanted. I also learned what a 3D Printer is.
• Modeling beards is not easy, but it was fun to do it. Modeling with SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids was easier than I thought. The college students were good at teaching, so I understood the process quickly.

A lot of initiatives like this one are currently taking place throughout Japan. It clearly demonstrates that learning the basics of 3D modeling at an early stage can help kids develop good skills for their future studies and careers.