-- Students Who Use SolidWorks in the Classroom are Poised for Early Career Success --

CONCORD, Mass. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — July 5, 2011 — Dassault Systèmes (DS) SolidWorks Corp. unveils its newest software for the education sector, SolidWorks® Education Edition 2011-2012. The product combines tools for simulation, sustainable design and motion, enabling both students and educators to create a robust classroom experience. The ultimate benefit is becoming equipped not only to get a job, but also to lay the groundwork for a rewarding and fulfilling career.

David Bazinet, a design engineer for Lista International, got his start using SolidWorks at school. Today, he is part of the design team at Lista that develops custom industrial furniture, including pieces used by Orange County Choppers.

“As a student, I was able to build the crucial groundwork and skill sets needed for my engineering career using SolidWorks,” said Bazinet. “The role of engineers has expanded significantly in recent years, and it involves being a bit of a mind reader, a good communicator and a designer. By having a rock-solid foundation and understanding of design and the tools needed to create quality products, I can successfully meet my customers’ engineering demands—all thanks to my classroom experience with SolidWorks.”

DS SolidWorks couples classroom teaching with hands-on design exercises, testing and certification, ensuring that students have their pick of future opportunities. Students in more than 24,000 secondary schools and universities worldwide have taken advantage of this comprehensive series of SolidWorks curriculum projects and tutorials available in 14 languages. Institutions with a software subscription enjoy the added benefit of providing students with access to their designs outside of the classroom—at any time—through the SolidWorks Student Access Initiative.

The SolidWorks Education Edition grants students free access to the Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA) exams, which validate their SolidWorks expertise, an immediate asset when searching for employment. Once they have earned the certification, students keep their CSWA status and join the community of 25,000 certified, passionate SolidWorks users. Students at any level can increase their professional skills through advanced certification exams for life-long learning. The ability to become a SolidWorks Associate Provider, a certification granted to educators who already hold CSWA status, enables teachers to administer the first level of SolidWorks certifications.

“Training the next generation of engineers and designers is critical to the success of the industry, as it relies on innovation and evolution,” said Marie Planchard, director of world education markets, DS SolidWorks. “Students are very hands on, and giving them access to design tools when and where they choose ensures that the creative flow isn’t hampered by lack of access. We’re proud to partner with educators worldwide to enable students at every level to grow into design engineers with bright futures ahead.”

“The beauty of SolidWorks is that it has great tutorials and is a very fluid and intuitive piece of software,” said Riley Lewis, a student at Discovery Charter School in San Jose, Calif. “SolidWorks is absolutely useful in and out of the classroom. I’m going for my CSWA certification this summer and working with a friend to design a hydrodynamic pellet. My chosen career is definitely design—probably mechanical design—and SolidWorks is preparing me for many of the important skills that are critical to successfully entering the design world.”

Based on SolidWorks Premium 2011 software, the new education edition includes the following enhancements:

• PhotoView 360, a photorealistic rendering product;
• SolidWorks Sustainability, which calculates environmental outcomes of a product design’s carbon footprint, energy, air and water usage;
• In-depth coverage on the basics of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with 2D simulation.

The following additional products that support the SolidWorks Education Edition are available through SolidWorks channels:

• DraftSight^TM, a free* 2D drafting automation tool, allowing schools to provide both 2D and 3D education in a cost-effective way;
• 3DVIA Composer^TM, which enables creation of dynamic 3D technical communications using existing design data;
• Enterprise Product Data Management, which provides complete control over all design information, eliminating concerns about version control and data loss.

The software is currently available through local resellers . Students also have the option to purchase the SolidWorks Student Edition online at the SolidWorks Student Store . For more information, visit: http://www.solidworks.com/sw/solidworks-education-edition-2011-2012.htm