Thanks for stopping by. We’re glad you’re here.
The audience: Who is the Learn Lab for?
The Autodesk Learn Lab is for participants in the learning, education, training, and workforce development ecosystem across the industries that Autodesk serves. If you’re looking to teach, educate, train, empower, help, inspire, inform, lead, engage or otherwise support students or lifelong learners in manufacturing, engineering, architecture or construction, this blog is for you.
If you’re a student or professional looking to learn or master Autodesk software, a good place to start is the Autodesk Certification Platform.
The subject: What is the Learn Lab about?
Imparting knowledge. Spreading wisdom. Sharing stories. Fixing what’s broken. We’ll be talking about what works in education and training, and how changes in industry have downstream (or upstream) ripple effects on what and how we teach and learn. The Learn Lab’s emphasis will be on education, training and learning outcomes – and how to improve them. We don’t pretend to have all the answers; guest authors will illuminate with perspectives, insights, and ideas.
We’ll cover issues of interest to faculty, teachers, professors, administrators, and policy professionals working in and around accredited and non-accredited educational institutions and training programs, from primary school through retirement, in both the private and public sectors, globally.
We will only discuss Autodesk products and services in the Learn Lab to the extent that they can be used to improve education, training and learning outcomes for students and lifelong learners. We will promote events, webinars, and other programs that may be of interest to our audience.
The orientation: What is the Learn Lab’s worldview?
Here at Autodesk we believe in lifelong learning that’s personalized, portable and pragmatic. In an increasingly polarized world, we’re willing to explore, learn from, and in some cases, support policy ideas from across the political spectrum. We think good ideas can come from left, right and center. We try to avoid politically sensitive issues in education and training – school choice and Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs) spring to mind – but aren’t afraid to dive into the civic pool on the big challenges that Autodesk customers face every day. We take positions when we feel we can contribute meaningfully to discourse in the public sphere, and ultimately we serve at the pleasure of the International Federation of Autodesk Customers. (No, that’s not a real thing.)
Futureskilling: What the heck is that all about?
The truth: We got tired of writing “upskilling and reskilling,” so we invented “futureskilling.” Yes, it’s a neologism, but so are upskilling and reskilling–and more recently, outskilling—so can you begrudge us for linguistic efficiency? We’ll grant that “futureskilling” sounds like marketing malarkey, but you must admit, it has a certain élan. Please indulge us.
The future: What’s next?
Upcoming posts will cover topics ranging from the future of mechanical engineering education and how industry certifications and credentials are evolving, to what industry convergence means for vocational and academic instruction, and how we can learn from apprenticeship and training programs in the UK, Germany, India, Japan, China and elsewhere in the world. We’ll be featuring guest posts from industry luminaries, machine shop owners, trade group leaders, Autodesk partners, and all corners of the education and training ecosystem.
Next week, you’ll learn how Danville Community College is reviving and reinventing what manufacturing looks like to the next generation. DCC’s commitment to how students perceive not only two-year colleges as an alternative to four-year programs but also manufacturing as an innovative and lucrative career path is sparking interest in students and helping them stand out from the crowd.
Please join the conversation by following us on Twitter @AutodeskEDU.
-Campbell Foster and the Autodesk Education & Learning team
