Assistance program launched for jobseekers
Published Thu 21 May 2009
Autodesk has recently extended its student program of software and training to those who are currently out of work.
Even when employed, keeping up to date with the latest advances in Autodesk products can be a tough task. Now with a challenging economic climate, job security is no longer a given and the loss of a job is a personal disaster on many levels.
From a professional perspective, leaving a company means losing access to the tools of our trade and with the pace of software development, this can be a disadvantage. While good design and CAD skills are not a guarantee of finding a new position, it certainly helps to keep up to date and to facilitate this Autodesk has recently extended its student program of software and training to those who are currently out of work.
The Autodesk Assistance Program was first announced and rolled out in the US last month and is to be expanded into all regions, including Northern Europe, in the coming months. Autodesk will provide customers and partners with design software tools, education and resources that will help them to enhance, maintain and develop their 3D design technology skills and remain competitive in the marketplace.
The program will offer free student software licences, free online training and a path to certification to unemployed architects, designers and engineers in all industries.
While the Student Version incorporates all the functionality of Autodesk’s professional licences, it includes a print banner making the software inappropriate for professional, commercial, or for-profit purposes. The idea behind the offer is for users to get familiar and comfortable with the new applications and take training and work towards certification, which is a recognised industry qualification that could aid employability in the future.
Registration for the program is completed online through an electronic form. The eligibility requirements are straightforward. The person needs to have been actively working in the mechanical, architectural, design or manufacturing sectors and recently lost their job.
The form will ask for contact information, details of the industry they have come from, last date of employment, who the former employer was and a human resources contact for validation. Once all those requirements are met, people can access the software and training.
Assistance Program tools and resources have been made available through an online portal, www.autodesk.com/assistanceprogram where users can access the following:
Free student software licence for 13-months*
AutoCAD
Autodesk Revit Architecture
Autodesk Inventor Professional
AutoCAD Civil 3D
*downloads can be made until 31 Dec 2009
Free online training: On-demand training available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week provided online through vBooks — powered by Retrieve Technologies (Internet access required).
Reduced-cost classroom training: Many Autodesk Authorised Training Centre (ATC) partners will offer classroom training for free or for a significantly reduced fee.
Certification: Certification preparation and exams are available at discounted rates through Autodesk Authorised Certification Centres.
Autodesk’s partners who participate in the Autodesk Assistance Program will be designated as official Autodesk Assistance Program members on the program’s website. Offers for certification and classroom training will vary depending on each ATC.
In summary, it is clear that this is a generous and welcome initiative by Autodesk, although we all wish it wasn’t necessary. The products that Autodesk has made available are all the most in-demand applications, so a level of expertise in any of these should look good on any CV. At least there now seems to be some small but encouraging signs from the global economy. Here’s hoping for a fast bounce back and a more expansive jobs market.
