Hey all,

• I am launching a new site on the www.nti.edu site that will be found in the employers section.  It is called “Find an Employee“.  This will showcase additional achievements of our student’s above and beyond our degree. 
  • I am focused right now on developing the CSWA list.  I will soon be working on the CSWP list as well.
• If you have achieved additional certificates and/or awards please email them to cmaccormack@nti.edu. 
  • Subject line to read: “Find an Employee”
• I need the name of the certificate / award, date received and contact information of the people who provided with the item.
  • If you would like me to I will attach a link to your name your personal website “Face book, my space, Linkedin, etc…”  I will not attach an email address in an attempt to eliminate spam to your email.  If you do have me link to your website it is your responsibility to maintain that site.
• I look forward to help all of you showcase your additional achievements

Chris MacCormack

NTI Alumni and Students,

Since October of 2007, NTI has been offering the CSWA exam to the NTI students and alumni for free.  This is continuing.  This page is going to be dedicated to publishing our testing dates and training dates.

• Open Testing Dates:  The schedule testing date are the Monday following the end of each semester
  • The exam itself is a 3 hour timed test.  To participate in the exam you must start the exam between 8:00 AM through 12:00 noon. 
    • June 22, 2009
    • October 19, 2009
    • March 1, 2010
• Training Course Dates: 
  • These will be offered monthly.  The training is comprised of four (3 hour) lab classes followed by the examination.  The objective of the training is to help people prepare for and pass the CSWA exam. The class dates are split up to allow students the opportunity to use SolidWorks in between labs to apply what they have learned.
    • Training Date 1:
      • July 13 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
      • July 15 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
      • July 20 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
      • July 22 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
      • July 24 Training Class Exam Day (Required to start between 8:00 am to 12:00 noon)
  • Training Course Pricing:
    • NTI Students and Alumni:  $700.00
    • All other persons:  $1400.00
• Instructors:
  • Chris MacCormack:  952.944.0080 ext 134
  • Dan Podzimek:  952.944.0080 ext 111

We are excited to announce our Summer graduates! Click on the link below to download and/or print your personal copy. Inside you will learn about June 18, 2009 graduates.
Get your summer newsletter here!

CAD software manufacturers are trying to ease the burden of the recession by offering trials of their software or reduced cost versions. Here are links to those software. If you have others, or you have any comments on these offers, please post a reply.

AutoDesk
Here is a specific URL you can use to get free Autodesk software. It does not require that you have a school email address. Please note, this is for a student version.
http://students.autodesk.com/?nd=or&id=1078&ic=yvDGIVLrhx

Select this option for the non student version, 30 day free trial offer of any Autodesk software. Be sure to select the right software type from the dropdown in the upper left corner before filling out the form.

SolidWorks
SolidWorks is offering a 90 day Engineering Stimulus Package. This has numerous learning resources, including tutorials, videos and forums.
http://www.solidworks.com/sw/esp/engineering_stimulus_package.html

Pro-Engineer
These guys are a bit stingier with the software. Students can register for a free student version here: http://www.ptc.com/appserver/wcms/forms/index.jsp?&im_dbkey=86840&im_language=en. For others, you can buy it at a reduced cost on their web site. Note the limitations.

After every CSWA exam I provide here at NTI, I like to congratulate the newest of the CSWA’s.  Today we had another great showing:

Starting off with Jessica Lewardowski who destroyed the test with the perfect 100% - Definitely in a class of the elite.

Others who are now proud recipients of the Certified SolidWorks Associate certificate include:

Ryan (never got his last name)

Cortney Gamlin (Graduate from the architecture program)

Thomas Hardenburgh (Graduate from the engineering program)

To all of these individuals, know that NTI is proud of your efforts and skill.  Keep in touch.

Thanks for a fantastic day to all of those who tested. 

It has been a long, fast and furious week here in room 159 at NTI.  I held the 1st Certified SolidWorks Associate Exam prep course with what ended up to be 4 outstanding individuals all with a common goal, to get help to earn an industry recognized certification from SolidWorks Corp.

In 12 hours these alumni were introduced to, worked with and built up knowledge required for the CSWA exam and a knowledge of how to take the course.  Class started at 4:30 pm and ended 7:30 pm Monday - Thursday.   These alumni also showed up and utilized NTI’s CAD labs before class to work on the subject matter we reviewed the evening before.  These folks put a lot of effort into this course and I really appreciate that kind of effort.

I poured my guts out to help them succeed on this exam in one week.  These folks worked even harder.  Kudos to you four.  With this kind of effort you will succeed in whatever you do.

Today we took the test and I am proud to announce that Cortney Gamlin and Thomas Hardenburgh successfully earned the CSWA certificate.  The other two will attempt the certification again in 30 days but will be working with me between now and then to increase their knowledge of SolidWorks.   I will ensure that the second attempt will be successful! 

For those of you who are looking to add another certificate to your belt contact Dan Podzimek at ext 111 for the next training dates and time.  Dan is a new instructor here at NTI who is not only a Certified SolidWorks Professional but also the head of the Minnesota SolidWorks User Group.  He and I are tag teaming this certification class and I believe compliment each-other extremely well.

It is time to beef up the resume and load it with industry recognized certifications to put your resume at the top of the lists.

I look forward to meeting alumni in the future who accept the challenge of this course and exam.  Good luck to all the NTI alumni.

Chris MacCormack

We are excited to announce our Spring graduates! Click on the link below to download and/or print your personal copy. Inside you will learn about February 26, 2009 graduates.
Get your spring newsletter here!

To the participants of the NTI fall 2008 CSWA testing completed on Monday October 20, 2008;

Awesome job!!!!.

I have blogged several times about the CSWA exam but this time we had a group of people who completely annihilated the national passing average.  NTI had 12 of 13 students pass the exam and 3 perfect exams.  Those individuals are Jordan Lewis, Bill Jugovich and Nick Mickalek. 

In my course, I attempt to relay the importance of being able to quantify what you say.  Passing this exam is an example of being able to quantify your statement I know how to use SolidWorks Comprehensive 3D Design software.  Yesterday 12 people attained an industry recognized certificate that also helps them to quantify their skills.

For those of you who chose not to take the exam I am a little disappointed.  You came to NTI to get into the exciting and rewarding career of Product Design and Engineering Technology.  I work tirelessly to find new ways to help you set yourselves apart from other graduates in this field.  This exam is one opportunity for you to do just that.  You need to take every opportunity to set yourself apart from your competitors.

You will find in this field that their are many different certificates to be attained that will set you apart from your colleagues.  Those who take the initiative to prepare for and pass these certificates will find more rewards to come.  Those who chose not to take that kind of initiative will get left behind. 

With new innovations, technology and the every present global economy, we can never think we are no longer students.  If you are not learning you are falling behind and an exponential rate.  Over  the last year I can tell you that I have learned at least 5 new things a day.  Some of those lessons are taught to me by the students.  Others are from the research I have done to prepare curriculum that will engage a majority of my class.

Anyway, (enough soap box), I really want everyone in our building to congratulate our CSWA’s.  There are quite a few here now.  The new CSWA’s: Wayne Borden, Jenna Powers, John Henneman, Arlan Jobe, Sean Stoeckel, Issac Roberts, (One of the Gesch Brothers), Cory Christofferson, Carl Monson, Jordan Lewis, Bill Jugovich & Nick Mickalek.  These folks have earned my respect.