Autodesk to Provide Engineering and 3D Model Based Design Software to More Than 1,700 Schools

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk Inc., (Nasdaq: ADSK) today announced that it will continue to be the exclusive provider of 3D design software for engineering to Project Lead the Way (PLTW) schools for the next five years and has provided significant financial support to the non-profit pre-engineering education program. Equipped with tools such as Autodesk Inventor and Autodesk Revit software products, which are used by engineers, architects and designers, students in more than 1,700 PLTW programs in schools nationwide will have the opportunity to visualize and experience their ideas through the power of model based design projects.

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PLTW, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of pre- engineering instruction for middle and high school students, is working to enhance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education with dynamic pre-engineering courses that employ rigorous project-based curricula. Autodesk's 3D software solutions like Inventor, offered in partnership with a premier pre-engineering curriculum program in the country, will reach almost 200,000 students nationwide.

When combined with college preparatory mathematics and science courses in high school, PLTW curricula introduces high-school and middle-school students to the scope of engineering and engineering technology prior to entering before the students enter college. Autodesk has worked with PLTW since the organization's beginning 10 years ago.

"Project Lead the Way and Autodesk together have grown an impressive network of schools," said Dick Blais, Vice President of PLTW. "Our formal alliance bodes well for the prospects of further growth for the program."

Student attrition in higher-education science and engineering programs exceeds 50 percent nationally, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. The goal of PLTW is to prepare students to be successful in these programs, resulting in more professional engineers.

"Students who participate in PLTW courses have experience solving engineering problems," said Dr. Gary Ybarra, professor of engineering and Director of Engineering at Duke University. "This allows them to hit the ground running when they enter a college engineering program, so PLTW students are more likely to succeed in higher education."

One way PLTW prepares students for engineering in higher education and beyond is providing them with the opportunity to use real-world, professional technology tools from Autodesk.

The partnership with PLTW is the latest effort by Autodesk to support academic achievement and lifelong learning by helping educators and institutions provide their students with the software they need to prepare for careers in design and engineering. Nurturing students in these fields is important, because the lack of candidates to fill engineering and technology jobs in the United States is a continuing trend: From 1988 to 2002, the number of college students graduating with degrees in engineering decreased approximately 25 percent, according to the American Association of Engineering Societies. And in 2003, 1.3 million engineering and engineering technology jobs were available in the United States without trained people to fill them, according to the National Science Foundation.

"Both Project Lead the Way and Autodesk are committed to preparing the nation's future technical workforce through better STEM education," said Niel Tebbano, Vice President of PLTW. "Our partnership offers a powerful instructional dynamic that will benefit students, educators and ultimately the nation's ability to innovate."

Also through the new agreement, PLTW will provide supplemental curriculum to Autodesk's secondary education program, the Autodesk Design Academy.

"Autodesk is dedicated to providing resources for educators who are cultivating the next generation of engineers," said Paul Mailhot, Autodesk Senior Director, Worldwide Education Programs. "Our partnership with Project Lead the Way allows us to provide students access to the latest 3D design tools so they can help shape the world of the future."

In addition to the partnership with PLTW, Autodesk is helping educational institutions invest in the future by offering educational discounts, innovative subscription offerings, grant programs, training, and curricula, and by creating innovative ways for students and faculty to share ideas. For more information, visit www.autodesk.com/education.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is a Fortune 1000 company, wholly focused on ensuring that great ideas are turned into reality. With seven million users, Autodesk is the world's leading software and services company for the manufacturing, infrastructure, building, media and entertainment, and wireless data services fields. Autodesk's solutions help customers create, manage and share their data and digital assets more effectively. As a result, customers turn ideas into competitive advantage, become more productive, streamline project efficiency and maximize profits.

Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California. For additional information about Autodesk, please visit http://www.autodesk.com/ .

About Project Lead the Way

Project Lead the Way was recognized in the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Science and Institute of Medicine report "Gathering Above the Gathering Storm" as a world-class curriculum model. Next month PLTW will be recognized by the Bayer Corporation as a "K-12 STEM Best Practice" for bridging the diversity gap in Science and Engineering education, and by the Manhattan Institute as a model for Social Entrepreneurship in "developing and disseminating new ideas that foster greater economic choice and individual responsibility."

NOTE: Autodesk, Autodesk Inventor, Inventor and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

Contact: Stacy Doyle, 503-471-6806

Email: stacy.doyle@edelman.com

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc. 10/30/2006


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0632 10/30/2006 08:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com