Perex

Preparing students for modern manufacturing is no longer about textbooks alone. Schools today need to provide hands-on experience with the same CAM and CNC technologies used in industry, and this requires more than just software. Through certifications, competitions, advanced machining strategies, and strong local support for teachers, schools are turning classrooms into real-world workshops.

Academic Certifications as Career Currency

Imagine a mechanical engineering student finishing secondary school. She knows how to draw in CAD, she has touched CNC machines in the workshop, but she has no proof that her CAM knowledge is usable. When applying for a job at a local toolmaking company, her portfolio looks the same as that of dozens of classmates.

Now imagine the same student holding an academic certification in CAM. During the interview, she can point to a standardized exam proving her ability to set up machining strategies, choose appropriate tools, and generate error-free code. For the employer, this is not marketing—it is reduced risk. Hiring becomes easier because the skillset is verified. For the student, it can mean the difference between an internship and a permanent contract.

Teachers also benefit. Preparing for certification forces them to structure their lessons around practical outcomes rather than abstract theory.

CAM Competitions, Formula Student, and Summer Camps: Motivation Through Challenge

A common frustration among teachers is the lack of motivation in classrooms. Students often ask: “Why do we need this?” CAM competitions provide a concrete answer. In these contests, students receive a real-world CAM part—say, designing a toolpath for a turbine blade within a time limit. Suddenly, theory becomes a tool for winning.

One teacher in Slovakia described how his less academically inclined students came alive during such events: “Some of my weakest students in theory surprised everyone in competitions. They were quick thinkers, great at spotting mistakes, and loved the pressure of a challenge. For them, this was the first time school felt like sport.”

Beyond dedicated CAM contests, support also extends into Formula Student, the internationally recognized university competition where teams design, build, and race small-scale formula cars. Here, manufacturing plays a decisive role. Students often need to design lightweight yet robust components, machine them under strict deadlines, and integrate them into a complete racing car. Having access to professional CAM tools and training allows teams to transform their ideas into parts that actually perform on the track. For many engineering students, Formula Student is the most intense—and most rewarding—experience of their studies.

Summer universities and camps add another dimension. Spending a week immersed in CNC machining tasks, students from different schools and countries work together, share tricks, and see that manufacturing is not an isolated trade but a global community. One Danish student commented after a summer camp: “I thought machining was old-fashioned. Now I see it is creative, hi-tech — and international.”

WorldSkills: A Global Benchmark

The WorldSkills framework provides a global standard for vocational excellence, with competitions held in dozens of countries across the world. Students and teachers everywhere can measure themselves against criteria that reflect the highest international expectations.

Within this global movement, SolidCAM plays an active role at the national level in countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic, and Croatia. Here, schools use WorldSkills standards in combination with CAM training to prepare their students for national CNC competitions. This ensures that learners are not only meeting local requirements but also aligning with global best practices.

For students and young workers, this provides confidence: their skills are benchmarked against international criteria. For teachers, it is professional development at the sharpest edge—working side by side with WorldSkills experts, exchanging methods, and bringing that expertise back into their classrooms.

Learning Beyond the Classroom: CAM Licenses, iMachining, and Digital Support

No initiative works if students can only practice during limited lab hours. Schools that provide fully equipped CAM licenses for home use open new horizons. A student can experiment with toolpaths at night, prepare for class the next day, or repeat a simulation until it finally makes sense. Homework stops being abstract theory—it becomes a rehearsal of real shop tasks.

Exploring Advanced CAM Technologies

This also includes exposure to advanced CAM technologies like iMachining. Students are not confined to the “basic” modules but can explore the same high-end strategies used in industry. A common myth is that teachers do not have time to explain such advanced operations. In reality, whether these technologies make it into the classroom depends on how much local CAM partners and subsidiaries are willing to support the teachers. Where time and guidance are invested, schools manage to teach even the most complex strategies successfully—and this is happening more and more often.

Centralized Learning Resources

Just as important is having a clear entry point for both teachers and students: a single hub where they can find all learning materials, from video tutorials and certification guidelines to project ideas and examples of machining strategies. At the same place, they can access the SolidCAM Academy e-learning platform and the SolidCAM AI ChatBot, which not only provide technical help but also guidance on how to plan a course, set up software for a new class, or discover new ways of teaching. This “one-stop gateway” saves time, prevents frustration, and makes it easier for schools to integrate CAM into their curriculum systematically.

Collaboration with Titans of CNC

In addition, schools benefit from SolidCAM’s close collaboration with Titans of CNC Machining. This partnership brings an outstanding library of CAM and CNC content directly to teachers and students. The library includes step-by-step machining tutorials and advanced programming projects. Learners gain access to inspiring, real-world examples. Teachers receive ready-to-use materials that enrich classroom practice and connect education with global manufacturing excellence.

One Polish teacher summarized it nicely: “It is like having a second teacher who never gets tired. The students come to class already prepared, which lets me focus on deeper discussions instead of repeating basics.”

A Level Playing Field

These resources are also an equalizer. Not every school has the budget to buy industrial machines or send teachers abroad for training. But when licenses, certifications, competitions, and e-learning support are made widely available, smaller schools can still offer their students a high-quality education. This means that talented students from rural regions have the same opportunities as those from large technical centers.

The impact of CAM in education is not abstract. A certification can help a graduate land a job quickly. Competitions can inspire students who had lost interest. Access to structured resources can boost teachers’ confidence.

When schools integrate certifications, competitions, Formula Student, WorldSkills standards, summer camps, iMachining, digital tools, centralized learning resources, and partnerships like Titans of CNC, they are not promoting a brand. They are preparing a generation of learners who are capable, motivated, and employable. This is what makes CAM education more than technology: it is a practical bridge between the classroom and the future of work.

And it is important to stress that none of this would be possible without long-term cooperation. SolidCAM provides these opportunities to schools—teachers and students alike—through its network of dedicated resellers and partners. They make sure licenses, certifications, competitions, and training reach classrooms across countries. This ensures the next generation of manufacturing professionals gains the skills and confidence to succeed.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Michal Ševčík

Global Education Manager at SolidCAM

Michal Ševčík is Global Education Manager at SolidCAM Ltd., University Teacher, and Certified SolidCAM Academic Professional (CSAP). Previously, he worked in SolidVision's Education Support Department,providing SOLIDWORKS, 3DEXPERIENCE, and SolidCAM software to schools, research institutions, and students.

Latest posts by Michal Ševčík (see all)

• How CAM Education Bridgesthe Gap Between School and Industry - 26 August 2025