Top 5 Autodesk Learning and Certification Highlights from 2021

Until recently, working, learning, and living were largely seen as separate experiences. Now that a hybrid approach to work and education is the norm, learning has become a currency for everything. 2021 brought new challenges, along with opportunities for resilience and innovation. Continuous learning is the best preparation for what could come next in your life, career, and community.

For Autodesk, this has led us to reimagine and expand our ecosystem of learning experiences. The goal is to support current and future design and help professionals learn, practice, test, and advance their skills to shape a thriving future. These learning resources can jumpstart growth, opening learners to new possibilities and aspirations.

New technologies, work patterns, and practices have disrupted all aspects of learning. In November 2020, the Autodesk Learning and Certification platform was launched, a new single-destination platform providing flexible, digital, and data-informed learning experiences. It features self-paced courses, curated learning pathways, and industry-validated certifications. Supporting a blend of digital and physical experiences, the platform’s personalized dashboard provides actionable feedback to help you adapt and shape learning environments to meet your personal needs, passions, and life circumstances.

Today’s professionals aren’t just upskilling—they’re working to keep pace with changing technologies, skills, and mental models. For companies, this is also transforming how they approach education, shifting from it an intermittent, optional initiative to an ongoing learning model where learning flows through the entirety of careers. People of all ages dip in and out of these flows, engaging in continuous learning channels that are contextually relevant and always available.

The recent Emsi Burning Glass report “Skilled Beyond Degree” finds that employers are increasingly shifting their focus away from traditional education toward skills and competencies when seeking qualified hires. Given the dynamic world of the Future of Work, it’s essential to rethink what is taught and also how to teach others to learn for themselves. And that’s where Autodesk seeks to make a big difference in learners’ lives. Reflecting on new course offerings, certifications, platform features, and curated experiences over the past year, here are our top five of 2021.

1. Curated Learning Pathways 

Curated learning pathways provide a learning roadmap to earning an industry-validated certification. Designed with a series of skill-builder courses and certification prep, you can advance at your own pace. Learn, practice, and test industry-relevant skills to work toward a certification and job readiness.

2. A More Accessible Course Catalog

This year, Autodesk added a new course catalog to make the learning library—which has over 324 modules and courses and 11 learning pathways—easier to search, sort, and customize to your unique learning goals. This modularized learning content for key workflows provides just-in-time, quick learning, which can help you rethink problems and find better solutions. Build, practice, and test new skills in CAD/CAM, 3D modeling, simulation, and generative design. Learn workflows to streamline your product development process, create high-performing product designs and production system layouts, and connect your team and data from design through manufacture.

3. Learn Fusion 360 in 90 minutes

Jumpstart your CAD knowledge with the newest standalone onboarding course, Learn Fusion 360 in 90 minutes. Whether you’re new to CAD or just starting out on Fusion 360, this skill-builder course will help you quickly advance core Fusion 360® applications and workflows skills through the design and production of a tea kettle. Course modules cover 2D sketching, parametric solid modeling, assembly creation, product rendering, exporting for 3D printing, file sharing, file management, and more.

4. Role-Aligned Certifications

Learning experiences are evolving to keep pace with what might come next in your career. In 2021, Autodesk introduced a new portfolio of role-aligned courses for machinists and mechanical engineers. Whether you’re up-leveling your skills in axis milling or learning computer-aided and manufacturing design, simulation, or generative design, these courses help you get to mastery faster. These new learning and certification opportunities are available at associate, professional, and expert levels.

5. New Beta Exams

Participating in an Autodesk beta exam is an opportunity to be an early adopter of the newest certification exams for in-demand skills—as well as supporting a key part of the research and development process. Built to integrate leading technologies with the insights to keep you at the leading edge of your industry, beta exams showcase the latest in our learning portfolio. Join the Autodesk beta community by taking a beta exam and enjoy special benefits, including earning our newest certifications for just $35.

At Autodesk, we know there’s no manual for what lies ahead. No directions for doing it differently. We also know that uncertainty is where a better future begins. It’s why we’re committed to a new way of learning: one that empowers you to stop just thinking about the future and start making it real.