CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive

3 August 2009

Company News

SolidWorks ‘Engineering Stimulus Package’ Yields Results

Nick Cook wasn’t looking for work until the economy “turned my 401K into a 201K.”

Early in his search, the retired aerospace engineer heard of a possible opening at a local company, Aerocet , that makes advanced composite aircraft floats for seaplanes. But there was a catch: Aerocet engineers use SolidWorks® CAD software, yet Cook had used a different program his whole career.

Cook contacted Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. and learned that the company gives free SolidWorks licenses to displaced designers and engineers, so he downloaded the software. A week later, he let Aerocet know he was getting up to speed on their preferred CAD program. Impressed with his initiative, not to mention his resume, the Priest River, Idaho, company hired him.

“I’m grateful SolidWorks was available to me,” Cook says. “It’s a real service for DS SolidWorks to offer it to job seekers who need it. It helped me land a truly perfect job working on some exciting products. If the Engineering Stimulus Package (ESP) Program had not been available, I’m not sure what I would have done.”

Cook’s colleagues at Aerocet appreciate the program, too. “We have a high-caliber engineering team with uncompromising standards, and Nick is a perfect fit,” said Operations Manager Garry Hojan. “His initiative to start learning SolidWorks confirmed his passion for joining our company, and he hit the ground running.”

More than 9,000 participants

Cook is just one of the success stories emerging from the SolidWorks Engineering Stimulus Package program unveiled April 6 to give job-seekers a chance to learn valuable new career skills in computer-aided design. A recent DS SolidWorks survey of ESP participants found that:

More than 9,000 displaced designers and engineers have taken advantage of the free SolidWorks CAD software.

More than one in 10 respondents had secured jobs by mid-July.

More than 80 participants have become Certified SolidWorks Associates (CSWAs).

Another 253 are actively seeking certification.

More than 60 authorized SolidWorks resellers have provided free training to ESP participants in North America and Europe.

Resellers have offered more than 100 training sessions.

SolidWorks ‘Engineering Stimulus Package’ Yields Results –

The ESP also helped authorized SolidWorks reseller FISHER/UNITECH build on the success of its own CAD skills (re)training program. “After learning SolidWorks basics, most participants were eager to extend their experience with SolidWorks for an additional 90 days through the ESP,” said President and CEO Charles Hess. “These individuals were already good designers and engineers, and now they are becoming very, very good at SolidWorks. They will make fine hires by the lucky employers who get them. In fact, several have already secured new jobs where SolidWorks experience was a deciding factor.”

Program still in effect

The ESP gives free SolidWorks CAD software licenses, training videos and tutorials, networking, certification, and potential job leads to any job seeker. “The ESP expresses our gratitude to the global community of users who have made us the success we are,” said Fielder Hiss, vice president of product management for DS SolidWorks. “We’re mindful that they have placed their faith and trust in us from the earliest days of the company, and we are paying that generosity back. The ESP is exactly what we should be doing to provide some assistance to our constituents at this challenging time.”

The SolidWorks Engineering Stimulus Package includes:

Software: a 90-day license of the SolidWorks Student Design Kit software for non-commercial use, with tutorials and documentation, plus the SolidWorks eDrawings® email-enabled file sharing tool;

Training: Hands-on test drives and other training from participating SolidWorks value-added resellers (VARs) around the world;

Networking: Access to the SolidWorks Customer Portal for support, networking, and discussion; and

Certification: Free testing to become a CSWA, a credential that documents SolidWorks competence and distinguishes job candidates for selective employers.

The ESP program’s success is being replicated around the world. It was launched in Europe May 5 and will soon expand to Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and India.

To participate in or learn more about the SolidWorks Engineering Stimulus Package, visit http://www.solidworks.com/sw/esp/engineering_stimulus_package.html SolidProfessor, a company focused on creating the best on-demand knowledge resources for users of SolidWorks and SolidWorks-related software, is DS SolidWorks’ official online training partner in the Engineering Stimulus Package program.

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