100,000th CSWA Certificate Issued!
Please welcome guest blogger Avelino Rochino as he talks about the SOLIDWORKS Certification Program (and SOLIDWORKS User Groups).
Hello SOLIDWORKS community! My name is Avelino Rochino and I am one of the SOLIDWORKS Certification team members responsible for managing the Certification program in serving your needs. Specifically I help run the day to day operations in ensuring the system runs smoothly as well as answering your questions. I have also written most of the exams available to customers. I’ve been with SOLIDWORKS for almost 12 years now and have been working in the Certification team for about 7 of those years.
About a month ago our team celebrated a very important milestone: the issuing of the 100,000th CSWA (Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate) certificate! We’re happy that the SOLIDWORKS Certification program could touch the lives of so many users and we have you, the SOLIDWORKS community, to thank for our growth. Not only are we really stoked at reaching such a number but we are also thankful to our teammates from the SOLIDWORKS Education team in helping us get to such a number to begin with.
The SOLIDWORKS Certification program was created initially to give users a chance to both prove and document their expertise of SOLIDWORKS starting back around 2002. Our program has evolved quite a bit since those early days. In the beginning there was only one certification, the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional or CSWP. This exam was only offered a few times a year and you either had to take it at SOLIDWORKS World or a limited amount of testing centers in either the U.S. or parts of Europe. Now we offer 12 certifications to the customer and each exam can be taken at any time and on any computer as long as you have access to SOLIDWORKS and the internet!
Since my involvement with the Certification program I have discovered both what the users bring to the program and also the difference the program makes in a lot of users’ careers. I am happy to have a hand in creating a product that helps users both get better and prove their mastery of SOLIDWORKS. In my opinion, the certified SOLIDWORKS users I have met are some of the best and most passionate users. Feedback from the certified users has made our exams and the Certification program stronger. And many users have told us many times how the SOLIDWORKS certifications they have achieved have helped them to either land a job, attract clients, or gain more responsibility within companies they work for. We on the team have really tried to create exams that are both relevant and challenging. We also take pride in maintaining a system that allows users to display their certifications via an on-line directory and to network with other certified users at SOLIDWORKS World and at various user group meetings.
Since the time I joined the Certification team, I have been presenting at user groups all around the world advertising our mission to the SOLIDWORKS community. This aspect of my job has allowed me to meet the passionate users that take their own time to learn more about SOLIDWORKS and it also allows me to offer them something in return. If you are reading this and attend a user group meeting at which I am presenting, please take me aside and say hello sometime during the meeting. I would be grateful in understanding what you do and how our program can be beneficial to you.
To all the SOLIDWORKS certified users out there and to the SOLIDWORKS community in general: Thank you very much for helping keep the Certification program strong. We couldn’t have achieved the important milestone of 100,000 CSWA’s without you!
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