pic: Solidworks Certificate

[Tetraman]

It's like asking "Will my CPR certificate allow me to practice medicine?"

Is it going to help? Yes, and I mean -the class- is going to help you get the basics down and give you proper understanding of the tools and capabilities of the program. But does that certificate mean you have what it takes to do a job? Not so much. In order to get a job where you'll be using SolidWorks or ProE or ALL of the programs you need to prove mastery and competent use of the program to solve problems.

The certificate might help you in smaller businesses that simply look for something on a resume to easily recognize one person's ability over another... but in the long run you'll be much better off with a portfolio of work that proves your mastery of the program.

[mplanchard]

Any FIRST team that designs with SolidWorks is eligible to take the CSWA exam. Your teacher must go to www.solidworks.com/cswa and fill out the CSWA Provider Application. We will provide the $99 exam to any FIRST member at no charge that is offered through an instructor or mentor in a proctored environment. However, you must be prepared to take the exam. 1. Ability to read an engineering drawing and create a part that is 100% accurate according to the dimensions, materials, and engineering notes. 2. Understand how assemblies fit and know how to use imported geometry 3. Know design intent of the model, so if there is a change, you can modify dimensions and instances quickly. 4. Calculate center of mass and define coordinate systems. 5.Take the sample exam at www.solidworks.com/cswa. Marie