Chubb adds drafting technology program
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK — The Chubb Institute will offer a new CAD (computer-aided design)/drafting technology program for students in the spring to enhance electronic, manufacturing, architectural design and engineering skills.

Students will be trained in manual drafting and learn two- and three-dimensional drafting and modeling techniques using AutoCAD software. They will focus on how drafting is utilized in the construction of residential and commercial structures, roadways and steel construction.

“We felt it would be an exciting addition to the existing programs we offer in that it really satisfies a niche in what careers the institute can offer for students who don’t want to go to a traditional college,” campus President Maria Veglia said. “It kind of gives a well-rounded offering to the additional programs we have … and it’s an exciting field. There are a lot of opportunities there, which always factor into making decisions.”

The one-year program is entry level and provides students the opportunity to work with various architects, civil engineers and designers. Graduates receive a diploma in CAD drafting and can become a certified drafter. They are assisted by the graduate placement department in preparing a résumé, searching for a job and conducting an interview.

For the initial program, there will be one instructor who has three years of experience in the field with expertise in drafting and the software applications. The course can accommodate 20 to 24 students, supplying them with calculators, protractors, pencils, a cylinder to store their prints, a folio to store their tools, a carrying case for all items, drawing tables for blueprints and printers.

“Anytime we roll out a new program we like to start slow, especially because it’s a new class,” Veglia said. “Hopefully by the summer we’ll have a full schedule.”

There is no age limit to enrollment, but Veglia feels the course will be popular with high school graduates who are interested in design aspects and conceptual building rather than actual physical construction.

“The purpose of a career institute is to provide career choices for students to further their education where the experience is always hands-on,” she said. “That’s why people come to our door: they want a career, not just a job … so this allows us to expand our abilities to another industry.”

The Parsippany and North Brunswick campuses of the Chubb Institute are members of the High-Tech Institute network of schools, formed in 1982 to reinforce classroom theory with practical, real-world experience. The Phoenix, Ariz.-based institute supplied the curriculum. For more information visit www.chubbinstitute.edu or www.hightechinstitute.edu.