The headquarters of the Official College of Graduates and Technical Industrial Engineers of Seville has been the setting for the closing ceremony of the VIII edition of the Introduction to Additive Manufacturing with 3D Printers Program, in which students from ESO, Baccalaureate, and Vocational Training, as well as teachers and experts in 3D printing and engineering, have participated.
For eight courses now, this COGITISE initiative has been bringing science and technology to young people in a practical and didactic way, promoting STEM vocations.
Over a trimester and at no cost, students from eight educational centers in the province of Seville have learned to operate 3D printers, such as the Bq Hephestos and Creality Ender 3 V2 models, provided by COGITISE, with which they have developed various printing projects.
At the end-of-course event held this Monday, the participants presented their work and were able to share their experiences with the rest of the participants.
The meeting was chaired by Ramón Cano, vice-dean of COGITISE, who emphasized that, thanks to this initiative, students have been able to firsthand experience the work of technical industrial engineers in Seville.
«We have been developing this program for eight years with great satisfaction, both for COGITISE and for the educational centers. In a practical and entertaining way, we manage to bring students closer to STEM careers, experiencing how they can shape their ideas thanks to their scientific knowledge and a tool like the 3D printer,» Cano stated.
In addition, the vice-dean highlighted the importance of fostering scientific vocations at a time when there is a «drought of engineers» in our country, despite the increasing job offers in the sector. «It is essential for young people to discover the opportunities offered by engineering and technology,» he added.
The closing of the event was led by Manuel Moreno, secretary of COGITISE, and Rosa Jiménez, auditor of COGITISE, as they are responsible for the development of this program.
Both have given educational talks at the participating educational centers in the program to delve into the applications and benefits of 3D printing and explain to students the tasks carried out by a technical industrial engineer.
This is the eighth consecutive year that COGITISE has carried out this program with secondary education centers in the province with the aim of dynamically and actively bringing engineering to classrooms and inspiring vocations among students.
Over these seven years, around 3,500 students from more than fifty centers in Seville have used the 3D printers Bq Hephestos, with which they have been able to discover small-scale 3D printing and its importance in various fields of engineering and industry.
The centers that participated in this year’s Introduction to Additive Manufacturing with 3D Printers program are: IES Ponce de León (Utrera), IES Los Álamos (Bormujos), Colegio Cristo Rey (Seville), IES Ilipa Magna (Alcalá del Río), IES Las Aceñas (Alcolea del Río), IES Albero (Alcalá de Guadaira), Colegio Aljarafe S.C.A. (Mairena del Aljarafe), and IES Heliche (Olivares)
