Future Skills
The primary focus of the MEF’s long term strategy is supporting the creation of a local talent pool that has industry relevant skills in advanced digital engineering and manufacturing.
We have a number of active and future programs driving this objective.
CAD/CAM/CNC Machining Taster Course
In February 2022, the MEFSC partnered with UniSC and TAFE Qld to deliver a first-of-its kind Computer Aided Design (CAD), Manufacturing (CAM) and Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) Machining Taster.
These 3 skills in combination are critical for the development of design for manufacture knowledge, which are critical for the manufacture of precision components used in industries such as:
Aerospace and Defence
Mining and Minerals Processing
Automotive and EV’s
In the absence of this critical skill set, parts need to be machined manually, generally at lower quantities and lower levels of precision, leaving Australia is unable to compete internationally in these industries.
While these technologies (CAD/CAM/CNC) have existed in a mature form for the last couple of decades, there is still very little formal education in this critical area within Australia, and the majority of skilled people in this space are trade qualified Fitters and Turners that have self-taught to become CNC machinists and to create CAD and CAM. While we’re lucky to have these self-driven and highly capable people within our ecosystem, relying on individual self-teaching is not a suitable long term strategy for developing sovereign capability in advanced manufacturing.
The course was run over two half days, and included:
An introduction to CAD, with students designing and 3D modelling their own parts
An introduction to CAM, with the full CAM being done offline by USC’s fantastic machinist
An introduction to CNC machining, with the student’s parts being machined both offline and in real time with the students by USC’s machinist
Our students came from Local High Schools, TAFE, UniSC, and a broad range of local industry.
We were so grateful to have Dominic V of the Sunshine Coast Maker Space and Craig Krantz from Ratel join us as our industry experts to teach the CAD and CAM sides of this course, and Hugh Allen from USC’s Engineering Lab on the CAM and CNC side of the course.
While this a small step in the scheme of things, it’s a critical one in helping to bridge the gap between degree and trades engineering, which is seen to be critical in enabling the design for advanced manufacturing skills that we need to drive our country forward, both economically and in terms of sovereign capability.
Since this inaugural taste course, TAFE have taken on Dom to teach progressions of this course on an ongoing basis at UniSC’s fantastic engineering labs, with the latest course being run in June of this year. More in this space to follow.