NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A Michigan company has donated nearly $1 million in manufacturing software to McCann Technical School.

 

Cimatron Limited is donating $900,000 worth of the software that is used for both the school's computer assisted design and machine technology programs with the possibility of more. The software will be installed on all of the computers in those labs and is used in every step of manufacturing — from designing a project to the actual tool paths and plans that are installed on the CNC, or computer numerical control, machines.

 

"Cimatron can take a piece all the way through production," said Principal Justin Kratz on Wednesday. "This is one [program] that is emerging in the industry."

 

The school had been looking for new software and the school's manufacturing instructor Thomas Matuszak identified the Cimatron's as both useful for his teaching as well as an emerging technology in the field, including with local companies. 

 

"We are preparing our students to be significant contributors to the manufacturing economy and provide good middle-class jobs and wages for their families and our community," said Superintendent James Brosnan in a statement. "Manufacturing today is all about speed, so training students on software that enables them to be more productive is a real asset to them, to their future employees, and to the industry."

 

Matuszak contacted the company for additional information and that connection eventually led to the company to simply donating the software.

 

"This donation continues a long tradition of collaboration with educational institutions such as McCann Technical School, which play a critical role in preparing the next generations of the industry’s skilled work force," company President Bill Gibbs said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the biggest challenges to manufacturing is a lack of skilled workers.

 

McCann boasts keeping up to date with equipment in its labs but Kratz called the donation "monumental" because of the cost to upgrade some 30 to 40 computers with state-of-the art software.

 

"This is a big ticket item," Kratz said. "This helps keep our students at the forefront of their field."

 

The students in every grade level will be able to use the program during the next school year. Some of the instructors have already gone through additional training to teach the program. 

 

"We're looking at it impacting anywhere from 120 to 150 students [per year]," Kratz said. "It can be used by students on various levels."