3/4+ Million Certified SOLIDWORKS Users and Growing
SOLIDWORKS sets the industry standard benchmark in the use of our software applications with close to 800,000 certificates issued in SOLIDWORKS on-premise and cloud applications. Next week, engineers will gather at 3DEXPERIENCE World in Dallas and on Sunday, where the SOLIDWORKS certification team will provide 240 lucky users the opportunity to sit for a certification exam. Lucky to take an exam? Yes, because these sessions were all filled – weeks ago. Engineers want to take these exams at 3DEXPERIENCE World, for their own claim to fame, staying ahead of the pack, and a never stop learning attitude.
SOLIDWORKS Certification Exams in Academics
Educators will talk about their student success with our SOLIDWORKS Academic Certification program at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2024, where qualified schools on subscription give our certification exams for free to their students. Success is not just measured by a passing grade but the opening of doors leading to an internship, job or articulation for college course credits. Students tell me:
- I’m so lucky my teacher gave me a SOLIDWORKS exam in school.
- I got a job because of SOLIDWORKS certification.
- I was able to work through college as an intern because of SOLIDWORKS certification.
The SOLIDWORKS certification exams, taken by our commercial customers, are the same exams educators offer to their students through our SOLIDWORKS academic provider program. These exams not only test the use of SOLIDWORKS but how our software applies to engineering graphics, simulation, documentation, PLM and cloud data usage competencies.
Jobs Require SOLIDWORKS Skills
It is not just what SOLIDWORKS says. I did a simple search on Indeed.com, a job site with 1000’s of SOLIDWORKS jobs as a key word. Narrowing down to the city of Dallas, you can see jobs with a certification or proficiency requirement for SOLIDWORKS.
Top 5 Benefits to Getting SOLIDWORKS Certified
What is driving this certification growth in both industry and academia? I sat down with Yannick Chaigneu, technical certification team learning experience expert, to discuss the top 5 benefits of getting SOLIDWORKS Certified.
- Claim to Fame – A SOLIDWORKS certification substantiates that you have attained a particular level of expertise with the software. Industry-recognized real-world expertise is significant whether you are a recent university graduate or a seasoned engineer. The SOLIDWORKS certification conveys a commitment to your craft and that you highly value being an accomplished designer or engineer. In addition, friendly bragging over earning certifications faster or reaching higher levels than other colleagues is common among the SOLIDWORKS Certified community.
- Stay Ahead of the Pack – Employers seriously consider applicants with industry certifications. SOLIDWORKS certification makes you stand out from other candidates. Some companies even use SOLIDWORKS certifications as benchmarks for promotion from within. It’s more than just a certificate or title. A certification demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning and that you proactively seek opportunities to expand your skill set.
- Quality Matters – The standardized modeling practices learned in the SOLIDWORKS certification process improve your foundational skills. Mastering these techniques translates to fewer errors, higher-quality designs, and a level of efficiency that gets projects out the door faster. Over time, the efficiencies gained from standardized practices can bring significant cost savings for your company and contribute to you creating consistent, quality work that stands out at your job and amongst your peers.
- Never Stop Learning – In addition to the foundational certifications of Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate (CSWA), Professional (CSWP), or Expert (CSWE), you can earn specialized certifications in simulation, sheet metal, topology optimization, and other areas to demonstrate mechanical engineering mojo. There’s always a new skill to learn to help advance your day-to-day work and position you for future growth.
- Networking Opportunities – Getting SOLIDWORKS certified places you in a large and growing group of hundreds of thousands of design and engineering professionals worldwide. According to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70% to 85% of jobs are filled through networking. Maintaining a strong network can provide you with opportunities you might not otherwise hear about. It can offer a support system for advice or assistance.
SOLIDWORKS certification is valuable for both your personal and professional development. It demonstrates commitment to your engineering craft and an understanding of the standard modeling practices in SOLIDWORKS. Certification may also make it easier to find new opportunities and you will have stronger connections to other SOLIDWORKS-certified aficionados. It can all begin when a student is in school!
Companies taking advantage of the SOLIDWORKS Subscription Service have access to certification exams. You can build your skills with two free core exams and two advanced exams per year for every seat of SOLIDWORKS purchased. Take your career to the next level by visiting the certification page to learn more about the SOLIDWORKS Certification Program and explore the exams available to professionals, students, and educators. https://www.solidworks.com/solidworks-certification-program
How Do I Get SOLIDWORKS Certified?
For our commercial customers on subscription, you can sign up to take any exam inside of 3DEXPERIENCE Certification Center.
Just for Educators
For educators you can sign up to be an academic provider for your students here. Your students, can be featured in our world wide data base and connected to their Linked In profile – where employers can find them and where your school gets recognition. You can also download your exam certificate, unique exam code, badge at anytime. These exams are automatically graded with randomized problems and documented results for the educator.
For individual students, you receive select free certification exam credits when you purchase SOLIDWORKS Student Edition or SOLIDWORKS Cloud CAD Apps.
There is also a certification store for the individual learning SOLIDWORKS on their own.
Thank you SOLIDWORKS Certification team for your support. No matter how you get SOLIDWORKS certified, it will be an exam that you will remember for a lifetime.
Design well, Marie
Marie Planchard