Rationale for Drafting and Design

Drafting and design can be seen as different disciplines but are increasingly being understood as inseparable. Design is creative problem solving which begins with a specific human need and results in a product or solution that addresses that need. Visualization of design can take many forms from sketches to computer animation, and can range from highly creative to highly technical. Design incorporates the drafting process. Drafting is the set of skills that allows the designer to communicate ideas and design solutions to others through technical drawings. The rapid growth of technology and the resulting change have led to increased integration of drafting and design in many trades and technology-related occupations.

Preparing for Transition to Post-secondary Education

Drafting and design provide students with knowledge and skills that can result in a lifetime interest and ability. These skills also can serve as the gateway to many careers. The courses are designed to provide credit for the core competencies of the Drafting Technician program at British Columbia colleges and institutes, and to provide students with the ability to proceed directly into drafting specialty sections. For example, students could take a "math-science" pathway to become one of a range of technologists and technicians or engineers with additional education.

Preparing for the Workplace

Students will have opportunities to understand the relationship of drafting to design and how, together, they form the basis of a wide variety of occupations. Drafting and design, with their focus on the visual communication of ideas, provide a fundamental set of skills for technologist and technician careers and are increasingly important to many trades.