Welcome to the Drafting Technology Department!
The Drafting Technology Department offers several programs of study that prepare students for careers in Mechanical, Electrical, and Architectural Drafting.
Occupational Trends: Though drafting is still a solid career choice, many drafting positions remain tied to industries that are sensitive to cyclical changes in the economy, notably construction and manufacturing. Drafters often now find employment on a temporary or contract basis as more companies turn to the employment services industry to meet their changing needs. More powerful CAD systems now allow many drafting tasks to be done by other technical professionals and some drafting work which can be done by sending CAD files over the Internet is outsourced offshore to countries that pay lower wages.
Career Description: Drafters prepare technical drawings and plans which are used by production and construction workers to build everything from micro chips to large buildings. Drafters utilize technical handbooks, tables, calculators, computers and specialized software to complete their work assignments. Drafting work has many specialty areas, but the most common specialties are architectural, mechanical, electrical and civil. Drafters usually work in comfortable offices and spend much of their time doing detailed work using a computer. Entry level or junior drafters do routine work under close supervision, while intermediate or senior drafters progress to more difficult work and less supervision. Most drafters work 40 hour weeks though a small percentage works part time.
Employment Trends:There were over 251,000 drafters employed in the US in 2008 and about 2200 working in Georgia. About one half of these drafters were architectural or civil specialists. More than half of the drafters worked in engineering and related service firms while 24% were employed in manufacturing industries. The drafting occupation is predicted to grow overall by about 4% in the next 10 years, but architectural and civil drafting job growth may be closer to 9%. Job prospects will be best for individuals with at least 2 years of post-secondary training that provides strong technical skills and considerable experience with Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CAD) systems.
These programs are offered on the Savannah Campus only. More information on each program can be found on the links to the right. For questions about program costs, please see the tuition & fees page.
If you still have questions after reviewing the program opportunities listed on this site please feel free to contact us!
Drafting Technology Program Contacts
| Kimberly Anderson | Program Assistant | 912-443-5833 | kanderson@savannahtech.edu | Savannah Campus |
| Melanie Smith | Academic Advisor | 912-443-5859 | msmith@savannahtech.edu | Savannah Campus |
| Joseph Powell | Department Head | 912-443-5821 | jpowell@savannahtech.edu | Savannah Campus |