Certified User Program Helps Validate Students' 3D Design Skills,
Bolster College Applications and Resumes
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., May 12, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Autodesk,
Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK), a leader in 3D
design, engineering and entertainment software announced a new level
of certification for students pursuing careers in design. The Autodesk Certified
User program provides students the opportunity to validate their
design skills for entry-level jobs and complements Autodesk's existing
certification program for industry professionals.
The Autodesk Certified User program includes AutoCAD Certified User and
Autodesk Inventor Certified User certifications and tests students to
ensure they understand and can effectively use Autodesk software.
Obtaining certification helps students enhance their college
applications and resumes, and enables schools and employers to verify
that candidates have the necessary skills to continue their design
careers.
"Whether during the college application process or a job search,
students are often looking for ways to set themselves apart from their
peers and gain a leg up on the competition," said Joe Astroth Ph.D.,
chief education officer at Autodesk. "Our Certified User program
provides validation of their skills and helps them continue their
pursuit of careers in design."
In addition to benefiting students, the Certified User program also
serves educational institutions. By offering Autodesk Certification,
schools are eligible to receive federal funding through Perkins Fund
grants. This funding helps schools to continue to offer innovative
programs designed to bring science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM) education to students in their classrooms.
Availability
The Autodesk Certified User program is administered to students through
Certiport, a test delivery solution provider for academic institutions.
Certiport is the exclusive administrator of the Autodesk Certified User
program. Through Certiport, schools can become authorized testing
centers and deliver Autodesk Certified User exams directly in their
classrooms. Schools interested in becoming Certiport Testing Centers can
find more information at www.certiport.com/autodesk.
"Autodesk has become prevalent in schools for design, architecture and
engineering students in recent years, and we recognized the need for a
certificate to validate the skills these students have worked hard to
master," said Ray Kelly, Certiport CEO. "Our exams ensure students can
effectively use these tools beyond memorization, and earning these
user-level certifications while still in school provides evidence of
competency and proficiency as students complete college applications and
resumes."
Students preparing for the exams can access Autodesk's Digital
Study Packet, available for free on the Autodesk Education
Community. In addition, Certiport Authorized Testing Centers will
provide practice exams to help students prepare for certification.
For more information on Autodesk Certification, please visit: www.autodesk.com/certification.
Autodesk Education Community
With the latest release of Autodesk 2012 products, there are now more
than 30 new software titles available for personal use to students and
educators for free* on the Autodesk
Education Community. Students can also download many learning
resources, search for internships and jobs, showcase their designs and
discuss design topics with their peers. In addition, educators can
download curricula and exchange best practices within the secured site.
Since its launch in 2006, the community has expanded to more than two
million members representing more than 21,000 schools in 155 countries.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a leader in 3D
design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the
manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and
entertainment industries -- including the last 16 Academy Award winners
for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software to design, visualize
and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in
1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of
state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information
about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.
*Free products are subject to the terms and conditions of the
end-user license and services agreement that accompanies the software.
The software is for personal use for education purposes and is not
intended for classroom or lab use.
Autodesk, AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor are registered trademarks or
trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates
in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered
trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other
brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective
holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services
offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice,
and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may
appear in this document.
© 2011 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
SOURCE: Autodesk, Inc.
Autodesk, Inc.
Michael Oldenburg, 415-547-2439
michael.oldenburg@autodesk.com
