Certified User Program Helps Validate Students’ 3D Design Skills, Bolster College Applications and Resumes

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — May 12, 2011 — Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software announced a new level of certification for students pursuing careers in design. The Autodesk Certified User program provides students the opportunity to validate their design skills for entry-level jobs and complements Autodesk’s existing certification program for industry professionals.

The Autodesk Certified User program includes AutoCAD Certified User and Autodesk Inventor Certified User certifications and tests students to ensure they understand and can effectively use Autodesk software. Obtaining certification helps students enhance their college applications and resumes, and enables schools and employers to verify that candidates have the necessary skills to continue their design careers.

“Whether during the college application process or a job search, students are often looking for ways to set themselves apart from their peers and gain a leg up on the competition,” said Joe Astroth Ph.D., chief education officer at Autodesk. “Our Certified User program provides validation of their skills and helps them continue their pursuit of careers in design.”

In addition to benefiting students, the Certified User program also serves educational institutions. By offering Autodesk Certification, schools are eligible to receive federal funding through Perkins Fund grants. This funding helps schools to continue to offer innovative programs designed to bring science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to students in their classrooms.

Availability

The Autodesk Certified User program is administered to students through Certiport, a test delivery solution provider for academic institutions. Certiport is the exclusive administrator of the Autodesk Certified User program. Through Certiport, schools can become authorized testing centers and deliver Autodesk Certified User exams directly in their classrooms. Schools interested in becoming Certiport Testing Centers can find more information at www.certiport.com/autodesk.

“Autodesk has become prevalent in schools for design, architecture and engineering students in recent years, and we recognized the need for a certificate to validate the skills these students have worked hard to master,” said Ray Kelly, Certiport CEO. “Our exams ensure students can effectively use these tools beyond memorization, and earning these user-level certifications while still in school provides evidence of competency and proficiency as students complete college applications and resumes.”

Students preparing for the exams can access Autodesk’s Digital Study Packet, available for free on the Autodesk Education Community. In addition, Certiport Authorized Testing Centers will provide practice exams to help students prepare for certification.

For more information on Autodesk Certification, please visit: www.autodesk.com/certification.

Autodesk Education Community

With the latest release of Autodesk 2012 products, there are now more than 30 new software titles available for personal use to students and educators for free* on the Autodesk Education Community. Students can also download many learning resources, search for internships and jobs, showcase their designs and discuss design topics with their peers. In addition, educators can download curricula and exchange best practices within the secured site. Since its launch in 2006, the community has expanded to more than two million members representing more than 21,000 schools in 155 countries.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc., is a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and entertainment industries -- including the last 16 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software to design, visualize and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

*Free products are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license and services agreement that accompanies the software. The software is for personal use for education purposes and is not intended for classroom or lab use.

Autodesk, AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

© 2011 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Autodesk, Inc.
Michael Oldenburg, 415-547-2439
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