Author: Tomas Karlsson

The world is rapidly changing, and businesses in Zimbabwe need to keep up with the pace of technological advancements.  

Digital and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation (RPA), and the Internet of Things (IoT) are transforming the way businesses operate. Generative design and additive manufacturing are emerging technologies across the manufacturing sector.  

All these technologies have the potential to enhance business operations, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve customer experience.  

Zimbabwean businesses need to adopt the latest digital technologies to stay ahead of the competition.  Upskilling is key to this digital transformation.  

Autodesk Learning Partner Advanced Design Colleges (ADC) in Zimbabwe has been working closely with the Ministry of Education and a national network of secondary and tertiary academic institutions on promoting CAD across the country for a few years. This has now been extended to include Autodesk® Fusion 360™ workshops.  

The program, designed to equip high-school students with Autodesk Fusion 360 skills, kicked-off with a train-the-trainer initiative. Fusion 360 is a cloud-based industrial design platform which will enable students to develop 3D modeling skills with software used by world-class engineers, product designers, and industrial design professionals.  

ADC’s Technical Manager, Mr Terrence Msipa, delivered a “train-the-trainer” workshop to 14 educators representing high schools from regions across the country.  The workshop ran for a total of 7 days and provided the attendees with comprehensive insight on the Fusion 360 platform and associated workflows. 

The 14 trainers will cascade the Fusion 360 training in 14 schools across the country. With an average of 150 students per school, it means more than 2,000 high school students will benefit from these latest skills used in factories around the world. 

The initiative is designed to give students across the country the skills they’ll need in their future careers: 

• enhance their software design skills by learning how to design, model, and fabricate their product ideas with the next-generation 3D platform for product development.  
• experience industry workflows, and explore exciting and emerging areas of manufacturing, such as generative design. 

The program will be developed, and rolled-out to tertiary institution educators. 

David Ngandu from ADC says: “We have been honoured to work closely with the Ministry of Education and secondary and tertiary academic institutions across the country for a few years.  This initiative is an exciting progression.  

“Digital technologies have the potential to transform Zimbabwean businesses. Investing in skills is critical for the digital transformation of industries across Zimbabwe.  We believe it is important to prepare the next generation of workers with the digital skills they need.  Our program has been designed to support thousands of students to gain practical and emerging skills.” 

ADC is an authorized Autodesk Academic Partner (AAP) based in Harare offering services to educational institutions and students across Zimbabwe. https://adc.ac.zw/  

For further information about KnowledgePoint and its role as the Autodesk Learning Partner Distributor for the EMEAR territory, or to find out about training local to you, visit: https://knowledgepoint.com/autodesk/  

I read recently that there are around $1.36tn of building projects underway across the Middle East – that’s quite some construction boom (CBRE).  As built environments across Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries continue to expand and develop, so does the need for increasing efficiencies in construction processes.  

In this ever-evolving Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has emerged as a transformative force. BIM has become an in-demand tool which has proven to energise the construction sector, enabling the digital management and design of buildings and engineering processes.   

By integrating data and fostering interdisciplinary coordination, BIM streamlines construction processes, reduces costs, and enhances sustainability. It facilitates efficient collaboration, improved decision-making, and enhanced project outcomes. It serves to enhance workflows and mitigate risks across the entire lifecycle of a construction project. 

There is evidence aplenty which shows the construction landscape can be transformed by leveraging digital technologies.  Something which is arguably critical in a multi-trillion dollar market.  

If digital technologies can make such a difference, why aren’t stakeholders across the AEC sector in MENA using them as a matter of course?   

Good question. Easy to answer?  

Actions to address this digital conundrum were agreed by participants in a recent roundtable organised by KnowledgePoint. 

What do they suggest?  

1. Create a new identify for AEC in the region: work in partnership with engineering institutes, industry and academia to recognise the importance of AEC to the growth of the region. Use the adoption of technology as a way to revitalise the sector. Engineering institutes and standardisation are key, ensuring consistent practices, enhanced collaboration, and improved project outcomes.  

2. Develop and retain the region’s talent: investing in and retaining the region’s talent is critical. Encouraging investment in education, creating attractive career opportunities, fostering innovation ecosystems, and strengthening regional collaborations can help retain and harness the potential of skilled professionals, driving economic growth and stability. 

3. Cultivate a culture for BIM adoption: spread awareness about the importance of BIM implementation and make it the norm for AEC. Foster a culture that values BIM, provides learning opportunities, and encourages the adoption of BIM as a standard practice. Provide training sessions, consultancy missions, and educational programs to promote learning and understanding.   

4. Incorporate existing building stock into BIM practice: recognise that not everything is new, and therefore acknowledge the need to capture digital information relating to existing buildings and infrastructure. Develop strategies to develop digital information for built assets that lack proper documentation. Focus on the digitisation of facilities management (FM) to maximise the benefits of BIM in both new and existing structures. 

5. Advocate to mandate BIM: encourage governments to create frameworks to mandate BIM. Promote the use of BIM as a core requirement on projects which can improve efficiency, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making across the construction ecosystem. Reiterate the value BIM can offer to government priorities. 

6. Engage the education sector: explore collaborations between industry with the education sector to develop a learning path for BIM implementation. Offer training sessions and consultancy projects.  Explore ways to incorporate BIM into the curriculum of architecture, engineering, and construction programs. 

7. Define your vision and clear plan to get there: establish specific goals and a long-term vision for the implementation of BIM. Determine what you want to achieve, focusing on improved complexity management, design quality, error reduction, customer satisfaction, and stakeholder buy-in.  Create a detailed plan outlining the steps required to reach your BIM goals. Evaluate your current processes, identify areas that need improvement, and allocate resources for training, software acquisition, and the development of standards and templates. 

8. Invest in training and development: recognise that training is crucial for the widespread adoption of BIM. Allocate resources for training staff members and acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively utilise BIM tools and software.  Make sure the training is tailored to meet the needs of each member of the team, reflecting the role they perform.   

9. Embrace certification and licencing programs: in the digital economy, AEC employers place significant emphasis on recruiting people with relevant technical qualifications. The validation of skills through certification has significance for AEC professionals wherever they are on their career pathway. Certification is a marker of competence, ensuring a proven minimum baseline of skills has been met.  

10. Embrace BIM as an investment: change the narrative, view BIM implementation as an investment rather than an expenditure. Understand that implementing BIM is an investment in the future efficiency and effectiveness of your organisation. Emphasise the long-term benefits and value it brings, rather than viewing it as a mere expense. Detail how the initial costs and efforts will lead to long-term benefits, including improved efficiency, time savings, and better project outcomes. 

What do you think? Do you agree?  

As countries across the region continue to pursue diversification strategies, it is clear that construction is going to play a significant role.   

The integration of BIM as a standard practice has the potential to promote industry-wide innovation, productivity, and economic growth.  It can play a part in shaping a future where the built environment reflects the aspirations of the region and meets the needs of its communities. 

What are you going to do first?  

Why not check out what our experts concluded? You’ll find their manifesto for change here: Actions for the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the Middle East and North Africa: Conclusions from an expert roundtable.   

Tomas Karlsson is the senior manager of channel services at KnowledgePoint. This means he oversees the management of outsourced extended enterprise learning programmes, recruiting and supporting global network of training providers on behalf of clients.  These programmes include developing resources to support sector engagement by training network partners. The latest resources produced as part of KP’s work with Autodesk can be found here.   

Five Autodesk Learning Partners were recognised for their achievements through the annual Autodesk Learning Partner Excellence Awards 2023. The recipients from across the EMEAR region were presented with their awards by Kyra Ward, Director Autodesk Learning Partner program and John Heffron, Finance Director KnowledgePoint, at the Learning Partner Summit event held in Istanbul, Turkey. 

Go Beyond ALP 2023: First Option, Egypt

This award was presented to Kamal Shawky of First Option in recognition of the provider’s collaboration with government departments and other stakeholders to provide training to thousands of students and graduates. First Option delivered product training across the Autodesk portfolio spanning from Architecture Engineering & Construction (AEC) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) solutions to manufacturing and the Fusion 360 platform. The initiative has seen First Option qualify university students for the digital transformation of the construction and manufacturing sectors. The initiative supports Egypt Vision 2030, of which digital transformation is a pillar.   

AAP Star 2023: Nziza Training Academy, Rwanda  

The AAP Star award recognises Learning Partners which are working with academic institutions, educators and students supporting them to leverage Autodesk software. Nziza was selected as the worthy winner of this year’s award for its work to establish a campus-wide and cross-disciplinary collaboration learning environments in Rwanda. The project included handpicking young college graduates and training them on Autodesk tools to a level that they were trusted by the government to be part of delivering the project. The collaborative programme is crucial in helping young people develop the skills employers need. 

The winners could not attend the event due to unforeseen circumstances but the award will be presented to Alexandre Nzirorera, CEO, at a later occasion.

Stronger Together 2023: Proddesign Training, Tunisia 

This award was presented to Hana Elleuch from Proddesign Training in Tunisia, in recognition of the training provider’s collaborative efforts. Proddesign is currently in the process of launching a digital learning solution that enables real-time communication and collaboration between instructors and their learners. In addition to these efforts, the winner has also been a proactive member of the Autodesk partner community in the past year by regularly sharing insight on the AEC industry to support peers and customers in the Autodesk ecosystem.  

Fusion for Education 2023: Modena, South Africa 

The Fusion for Education Award recognises a Learning Partner which has put in a particular effort in promoting the Autodesk Fusion 360 platform to the education market. For many years Modena has been passionate in its support for education across South Africa, assisting schools, universities and students in accessing the different support solutions available for education. In the past year Modena has delivered multiple training workshops to the post-secondary sector, run school holiday training in high schools and delivered a pilot project together with the Education Department delivering training to educators that is currently being developed into a national plan. The judges recognised that not only does Modena have very broad engagement with education, it has also focused on Fusion 360 and support to Autodesk to establish the platform as a next generation solution in South Africa. Heather McDade collected the award on behalf of Modena.    

ACI of the Year: Ümit Kiliç from UKHOTECH, Turkey 

The ACI (Autodesk Certified Instructor) of the year award was given to Ümit Kiliç, an instructor who has trained 100+ students with 100% satisfaction rating in the past and thereby maintained an active ACI badge. One of the projects delivered by Ümit was a workshop on BIM for architects and engineers from Izmir Metropolitan Municipality General Directorate of Construction Affairs, which led to that Metropolitan Municipality and the contractor companies actively using BIM software and workflow in projects. This also included training 200 architects on Autodesk software solutions.  

Commenting on the awards, Astrid D. Øie, Autodesk Learning Partner Channel Manager, and Tomas Karlsson, Sr. Manager of Channel Services at KnowledgePoint, jointly said:

The judging panel had a tough job of selecting the recipients of these annual awards. There’s some amazing work going on across the network – but we believe we’ve chosen some worthy recipients. They really have made a difference to the skills landscapes in their countries – supporting many people in achieving their upskilling and reskilling ambitions.  

Given the challenges of the pandemic, we’d not been able to come together as a community for the last three years. It was great to be able to recognise the work of these Autodesk learning partners in person. 

Astrid D. Øie & Tomas Karlsson

Last week KnowledgePoint organised the annual Autodesk Learning Partner (ALP) Summit 2023 in Istanbul, Türkiye.

During two days, we heard from inspirational speakers from industry and academia, explored ways to develop training and learning initiatives to support current and future customers, and celebrated the success that Autodesk Learning Partners have achieved in the past year.

We appreciate the support from Autodesk and the amazing guest speakers from University College London, Advanced Design Colleges, First Option, EduCAD and Istanbul Technical University who made this event truly meaningful.

It was particularly rewarding to welcome 60+ Autodesk Learning Partners representing a community of learning organisations who support Autodesk end users across 43 different countries in Africa, Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

Hear some of the participants share their impressions and insights on the topics reviewed at the Summit on our YouTube channel: Autodesk Learning Partner Insights.

Autodesk Learning Partner Excellence Awards

We were honoured to recognise standout achievements in five categories through the annual Autodesk Learning Partner Excellence Awards. Big congratulations to the winners:

• Go Beyond ALP 2023: First Option in Egypt
• AAP Star 2023: Nziza Training Academy in Rwanda
• Fusion 360 to Education 2023: Modena in South Africa
• Stronger Together 2023: Proddesign Training in Tunisia
• ACI of the Year 2023: UKHOTech, Türkiye

Next steps

Many of us recognise the feeling after having attended an event of this magnitude: One is energized by all the new ideas and perspective, but it is easy to get distracted by a full inbox and meetings once back home again.

So how does one make sure to capture the excitement and keep the momentum going? There probably isn’t a one size fits all solution but we would recommend taking a couple of actions:

Book some time with yourself while the event is still fresh in your mind

Go through your notes, the speaker presentations, and shortlist areas to follow up on.

This way you help yourself to focus on the most relevant takeaways from the event.

Pick at least one business development activity that you will have learnt about at the event

Set a target for yourself to focus on it in the coming month.

This can include reviewing reports and industry trends that you may have heard about at the event, completing follow up activities with new contacts you may have met, or leveraging the new insight you’ve gained to do a strategic review of your own business.

This way you ensure that your investment in attending leads to longer term value for your organisation.

Thank you to all Autodesk Learning Partners and guest speakers for attending and sharing your insights at the Autodesk Learning Partner Summit 2023.

Team “Kringelid” revealed as the best 3D modeller at new Autodesk Fusion 360 competition held at the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

An Autodesk Fusion 360 modelling and product design competition has been held for the first time at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, where all technical enthusiasts familiar with this software could test their abilities. After a long day of competition, the team Kringelid was crowned as the most skilled user of the program.

The university has been using AutoCAD and other CAD tools since the early 90s and wanted to inspire students to broaden their skill set in mechanical engineering and production technology. The competition saw teams create 3D models with Autodesk Fusion 360 software within a given time, as well as prepare some of them for production and supporting technical drawings.

The winning Kringelid team was distinguished from its competitors primarily by its knowledge of modelling techniques and skill in using software. The solutions presented by them corresponded best to those presented in the initial conditions.

The given tasks turned out to be sufficiently complex, no one got bored, and they worked hard on the solutions until the end of the competition. In many cases, we were positively surprised by the solutions proposed by the participants.

The competition organiser, Tõnu Leemet, a senior lecturer at the chair of bioeconomic technologies at the Estonian University of Life Sciences

With Autodesk Fusion 360 software, industrial and mechanical design can be combined and work operations can be programmed for CNC machines without leaving the programming environment.

Development work in mechanical engineering and production technology has long been impossible without knowledge of such software.

Although subjects related to AutoCAD software were added to our curricula as early as 1991, CAD technology is constantly being updated and the field is becoming more and more digitized. These changes and trends are also reflected in today’s curricula in the field of engineering at the University of Life Sciences.

The contribution of the forestry industry, woodworking technology, production engineering and technotronics specialists who graduate from the University of Life Sciences to the development of the country’s economy is undoubtedly very important.  As well as increasing familiarity of technology, this new competition a great, and practical way, to increase the popularity these specialties together.

Marek Metslaid, director of the Institute of Forestry and Engineering of the Estonian University of Life Sciences

About the competition

The competition was organized by the Institute of Forestry and Engineering of the Estonian University of Life Sciences and the software company AruCAD Süsteemid OÜ. The event was also supported by Autodesk, KnowledgePoint and 3Dconnexion.

• Autodesk Learning Partner AruCAD Süsteemid and the university teamed up with representatives from the Institute of Forestry, one of Estonia’s prime industry segments, to develop the competition briefs.
• The competition involved eight teams of two to four members, comprising high school and university students as well as industry practitioners.
• The competition focused on teamwork and working together to create models in Autodesk Fusion 360 within a set timeframe and then prepare the associated technical drawings with real-life production settings for their designs.
• 3Dconnexion sponsored special awards. SpaceMouse Pro computer mice were given to Team “Level” as Best Designer and Team “Vertex” as Best Modeller.
• The first place team was awarded 1,000 euros, the second place team “Irontec” 700 euros and the third place team “TÜS Seniorid” 400 euros.

When choosing the best, the jury evaluated above all the mastery of design and modelling. The jury included Vitali Valtanen from the Estonian Academy of Arts and Marten Madissoo and Tõnu Leemet from the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

Learn more about the competition by reviewing the event website and video show reel.

About AruCAD Süsteemid

AruCAD Süsteemid provides engineering IT solutions and services to specialized markets. We develop and manage IT engineering and complex solutions that successfully integrate hardware and software, and help to achieve an effective performance for customers.

AruCAD Süsteemid has been Autodesk Gold Partner since 2013 and an Authorized Learning Partner since 2011.  The company is part of the Infoera Group, which has offices in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius.

For further information about KnowledgePoint and its role as the Autodesk Learning Partner Distributor for the EMEAR territory, or to find out about training local to you, visit: https://knowledgepoint.com/autodesk/

Against the backdrop of the continued challenges in Ukraine, representatives of the AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) sector came together in Lviv to explore BIM (Building Information Modelling).

With a focus on creating the conditions for the sector to work effectively on the reconstruction of the country, the conference was attended by more than 80 people.  Despite challenging conditions, participants came from all parts of Ukraine – including from Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa – hearing from specialists in BIM and VDC (Virtual Design and Construction). 

Given its timing, the conference was themed around BIM in conditions of war.  The in-person event was organised by Authorized Autodesk Learning Partner, Parametric Educational Center LCC.  Speakers highlighted the diverse experience of current work and incredible work from the world of BIM and VDC.

• Vityk Zakhar (www.linkedin.com/in/zakvityk), CEO of Parametric Educational Center LLC – “How did post-secondary education change during the war?” He underlined that, even with the onset of the war, Ukrainians did not stop learning.  He said learning was approached with greater zeal, and participants began to master modern software solutions for more effective work, as well as cooperation with partners and customers from Europe and North America.  Companies from Ukraine have been increasingly offering their services abroad increased significantly during the war. Parametric plays a role in helping partners from abroad find specialists in Ukraine to work with projects with a BIM requirement, including those using Autodesk Revit

• Oleksandr Vysochanskyi (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexvy/) from the company New Vision talked about their participation in cooperation with foreign clients who are among the top 20 developers in the USA.  He shared valuable knowledge about the specifics of the market, and also shared his perspective on how participants should identify their niche and grow from a small modeler to a successful company that is engaged in VDC in full and successfully exports its work abroad.

• Dmytro Makarov (https://www.linkedin.com/in/makarovdm/), Head of Team VAD Autodesk in Ukraine – MUK highlighted how actively the domestic market is also developing.  Dmytro spoke in detail about the advantages of using Autodesk software in design and directly during construction.

• A major problem around the legislation of VDC and BIM standards at the state level has persisted in Ukraine for some time.  This is required to regulate and effectively manage the documentation development processes.  Thanks to an initiative by the UA BIM Community, there have been significant developments in this direction. Ihor Yurasov  (https://www.linkedin.com/in/iyur)spoke about the changes in the laws of Ukraine, which are already beginning to regulate BIM modelling, and the use of ISO 19650 practices at a country level is foreseen. Undoubtedly, this progress in the right direction for the digitalization of the entire construction industry in Ukraine.

• Colleagues from the AVR Development (https://www.linkedin.com/company/avrdevelopment/) highlighted how they’ve   transformed from a studio of ten into a company with more than 120 designers who with mastery of BIM technologies and have been designing high-quality on the Ukrainian market for more than 15 years.

Commenting on the success of the event, Zakhar Vityk, CEO of Parametric Educational Center LLC said: “We’re incredibly grateful to all the speakers and participants of the conference who made this event truly all-Ukrainian.

“We look forward to continued collaborative efforts to train specialists and adopt BIM across the country.  Our country has been subjected to continued aggression, resulting in the destruction of communities and infrastructure. 

“We need to make sure that the AEC sector in Ukraine is equipped with the skills it needs to rebuild.  We believe improving understanding and mastery of BIM is critical for the AEC sector – and the future of our country.”

About Parametric Educational Centre LLC (https://scparametric.com/)

An international team of professionals with its main R&D department in Ukraine, Parametric has been serving the world AEC industry since 2012. With more than 20 employees – BIM modelers, Software engineers, QA/QC engineers, UI/UX designers – the company has worked with customers around the world.  Services include:

• Software development: Development and deployment of software products and applications for the AEC industry, including Autodesk products
• Virtual design construction: Project support with full circle of VDC for engineering needs: Electrical, HVAC, Mechanical, Plumbing, Structure, etc.  Model coordination, and clash detection and clash resolving
• Scan to BIM: The use of Lidar technologies of laser scanning (Point Clouds) for the creation of BIM models.
• Family creation: Full Revit content library creation, Parametric families with shared parameters (NBS) and families for prefabrication.

For further information about KnowledgePoint and its role as the Autodesk Learning Partner Distributor for the EMEAR territory, or to find out about training local to you, visit: https://knowledgepoint.com/autodesk/

As Cameroon’s major seaport, Port of Douala is home to most of the country’s international trade.  With connections to all of the country’s major cities, it plays a pivotal role in keeping trade across the country moving.  Efficiency, collaboration and clear processes, are key to this key aspect of the country’s infrastructure.

With these factors a focus, Autodesk Authorized Learning Partner, CPA (Consultations et Projets d’Afrique) worked with RTC (Regie du Terminal Conteneurs), a subsidiary of the Port of Douala, to upskill its team of engineers.

CPA designed and delivered a six-week training program focused on Building Information Modeling (BIM), in support of RTC’s project goals:

1. Collaboration, around the country without the need to meet every time
2. Improve efficiencies
3. Introduce BIM in the design process

Bibiane Etoa Epse Mengue, Commercial Director at CPA said: “Following a recent resolution by the government of Cameroon about outsourcing engineering services, RTC recognised it needed to upskill and develop its workforce, particularly as the port facilities adopts more digital technologies.

“To help us understand the business challenges faced by RTC, we conducted a long discovery session. We identified that RTC didn’t have a system in place where it could store its design work.  In addition, it could not do any modelling work and nor could the team detect clashes.

“We designed a training program to help them collaboratively thereby saving time and information to deliver projects on time.  We focused on upskilling with key Autodesk software to support achievement of project goals. 

“The team is now familiar with the software, and is able to use it effectively to model, reduce risks, and automate tasks to reduce design time and improve handoff with streamline data exchange.  They are now also able to access tools that enable them to deliver more business and create high quality infrastructure designs with conceptual and detailed design tools.”

The RTC team acquired the required expertise and product knowledge to ensure a hugely successful project.  Participants were overwhelming positive about the training:

“CPA has helped to understand some products from Autodesk which will assist us to be more efficient,” RTC project manager.

“CPA has an excellent team of instructors with great experience,’’ civil engineer from RTC.

The next phase in the collaboration between RTC and CPA involves further training in June 2023.

About RTC (Regie du Terminal Conteneurs)

RTC is a subsidiary of the Port of Douala, established by the government of Cameroon to:

• Update and maintain Terminal infrastructures and equipment within the Port (Harbour)
• Renovate government buildings in the city
• Renovate railways and train stations

About CPA (Consultations et Projets d’Afrique)

CPA Cameroun helps African companies specializing in AEC to make better choices in the digitalization strategy of their activities. The company recognises an ever-increasing need for CAD/CAD software solutions in the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa during the implementation of construction projects. It works in partnership with its customers, auditing requirements to make sure solutions meet their specific needs.  https://www.consultations-projets-afrique.com/

For further information about KnowledgePoint and its role as the Autodesk Learning Partner Distributor for the EMEAR territory, or to find out about training local to you, visit: https://knowledgepoint.com/autodesk/

Authorized Autodesk Learning Partner, Computer & Software Training Center (Compusoft), is playing an important role in the expansion of the F1 in Schools into Saudi Arabia.

F1® in Schools, the leading global STEM initiative, in partnership with Aramco-Ithra, Denford, Autodesk, and the Project Management Institute, is supporting the F1 in Schools Saudi Arabia program.

To support the program, Compusoft delivered training sessions to aid the establishment of five new local hubs in the country. 

• Four-day training program for F1 in Schools coordinators which leveraged Autodesk-created material, combining an introduction to design in Fusion 360 with Autodesk Flow Design
• Attended by 22 future F1 in Schools coordinators, preparing the way to launch the competition in Saudi Arabia in 2023. These coordinators will now set up local chapters across the Kingdom and organize their own local training sessions 
• The training program is aligned to Autodesk’s long-term partnership F1 in Schools which promotes engineering skills to secondary students through the design of model racing cars

The five hubs, which deliver local activities training and mentoring for Saudi students, have been provided with assistance from F1 in Schools head office team and specialist partners. 

Autodesk, F1 in Schools Premier Global CAD/CFD Partner supported the activity by providing training in CAD/CAM and CFD software such as Fusion 360. The objective was to provide local staff with the tools and expertise to guide and advise teams at the start of their F1 in Schools journey.

About F1 in Schools

The F1® in Schools season is now underway in Saudi Arabia.  Around 200 students are preparing to compete in regional finals, with the first Saudi Arabia National Final in June 2023.  The National Champions will represent Saudi Arabia at the Aramco F1 in Schools World Finals which take place in Singapore in September, alongside the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Grand Prix.

The STEM competition, F1 in Schools, is an international multidisciplinary challenge. Working collaboratively, teams of students aged 9 to 19 design (using CAD/CAM software), analyse, manufacture, test and then race miniature gas powered F1 cars along a 20-metre track. F1 in Schools STEM aims to raise standards across schools, removing the attainment gap between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils and promoting student success and achievement in STEM-related subjects and beyond.

F1® in Schools puts STEM education into context with its parallels to the real world of the sport and wider industry. It makes the learning more relevant, more engaging, and with its supportive, competitive environment, more exciting. 

This Formula 1® supported global STEM programme is also a proven route to motorsport and automotive careers with former participants working in Formula 1® teams, engine manufacturers, sports agencies and many more allied companies. It also provides the sport with a unique platform for promotion to the younger generation.

About Computer & Software Training Center (Compusoft)

Compusoft is a training service provider accredited in Saudi Arabia by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) and internationally by major multinational companies and certification providers, such as Autodesk, Bentley Institute, Intergraph.

In accordance with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, and directly supporting the subsequent 2020 Plan, its primary focus is facilitating youth development and knowledge transfer, and providing technical and vocational training, project management training, engineering software training, and soft skills training.

It offers a wide range and format of training programs, as well as bespoke courses customized specifically to the needs of customers.

For further information about KnowledgePoint and its role as the Autodesk Learning Partner Distributor for the EMEAR territory, or to find out about training local to you, visit: https://knowledgepoint.com/autodesk/

A memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education and training provider, Advanced Design Colleges (ADC), has helped to boost digital design skills across Zimbabwe.  

The ADC CAD Academy was designed to support high schools and tertiary institutions in accessing and implementing Autodesk’s AutoCAD software.   

David Ngandu from ADC said: “This program has been running for seven years.  Back when we started, our research identified that the drawing board was common place in design practices and organisations across Zimbabwe.  We saw this repeated in high schools and tertiary education across the country.  Students weren’t familiar with CAD – nor being given the opportunity to develop the skills we knew were needed to digitise design and, in turn, help the country grow.  

“Through our work with industry, we knew that many businesses, service providers, and organisations were struggling to obtain employees with the right skills to harness technological opportunities coming down the line.  Practical action was needed to boost digital skills development.   

“The memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education allowed us to deliver a skilling program in high schools and tertiary education across the country.  Autodesk’s investment in education means that access to software is free for educational institutions – but, back then, many institutions didn’t know that it was available to them!” 

Engaging with institutions across the country, ADC set about increasing access to the software, and upskilling lecturers and students alike.  The ADC Academy comprised two strands which were designed to meet the differing needs of tertiary institutions and high schools.   

Aiming to replace the use of the drawing board, the program in tertiary institutions involved: 

• Installation of software (free for educational institutions) 
• Training of lecturers 
• Designing and delivering a tailor-made training program that was aligned with the different technical subjects offered in the curriculum 
• Lecturers cascading the training to students
• Issuing of certificates of completion
• Workshops and meetings for lecturers who were teaching CAD
• Awarding top students with prizes

In high schools it comprised: 

• Appointment of a dedicated CAD teacher 
• Establishing a fully computerised CAD lab to be used for CAD lessons only 
• Aligning CAD lessons with the technical subjects offered by the school 
• Full implementation of AutoCAD and industry specific software 
• CAD quiz and project competitions 
• Prizes for top students

David Ngandu continues: “The approach we’ve taken has worked and we’re really proud of what we’ve achieved over the last seven years. The implementation was very successful and AutoCAD is included on school time tables and in the curriculum. For example, each tertiary institute now has a CAD Coordinator, a post which was never there.   

“We’re looking forward to the future, which sees us rolling out industry-specific packages to lecturers and across institutions.  We’re also going to work with them to support accreditation programs.  

“We also know that there are many schools, particularly in rural communities where students don’t have access to computers.  This is why we’re going run a mobile CAD lab that will cater for schools in rural areas. The labs in trucks will be solar and generator powered and will move from one school to the other following a strategically designed timetable.” 

ADC is an accredited Autodesk Academic Partner (AAP) based in Bulawayo offering services to educational institutions and students across Zimbabwe. https://adc.ac.zw/  

For further information about KnowledgePoint and its role as the Autodesk Learning Partner Distributor for the EMEAR territory, or to find out about training local to you, visit: https://knowledgepoint.com/autodesk/