Norway is making incredible strides in K-12 engineering and technology education. In close cooperation with industry, schools, colleges and universities, RENATE, a national center in Norway founded by The Ministry of Education and Research, has initiated a Technology and Design program that will teach more than 60,000 junior high school and high school students engineering fundamentals and reinvigorate the country’s manufacturing industry.

Starting in the fall of 2006, the program will enable approximately 1,300 schools across Norway to teach 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) to students aged 14 to 18. The strong math and science focus of the program will integrate lessons in 3D mechanical design skills to help the students cultivate their interest in design and engineering as well as math and science careers at an early age. This is an important step in a country where interest among university students in engineering and engineering careers has been in decline for the past ten years.  The number of students that have abandoned bachelor’s degrees in engineering has increased in the past 10 years because students have complained about the curriculum being dull, said RENATE Center Director Odd Lauritzen.

Norwegian schools will be implementing SolidWorks  Education Edition CAD software, due to its easy to understand design. RENATE, the National Center for Contact with Working Life for the Promotion of the Natural Sciences and Technology, hopes to insure that technology will have a proper place in the Norwegian school system in the years to come.

To learn more about RENATE visit: www.renatesenteret.no. Read more about the Technology and Design program at: http://www.tenlinks.com/NEWS/PR/solidworks/091905_renate.htm

Filed under: K-12 Education News