Let’s say you have always wanted to become a design engineer. You’ve done the hard work of studying and you’ve earned a degree – or degrees – in engineering. OK, great start. Next, you’re thrilled to accept a new role with a company that designs electric motorcycles.
As you begin your new job and first project, you may want to also research and learn the best tools available for your role. Perhaps you seek out a mentor to help develop your future career path and start learning all about the work culture around you to set yourself up to be successful in your new role. In addition to the personal experience you bring to the job, focusing on expanding your expertise in other ways will improve your work-life experiences. Does your new employer offer the tools you need to succeed?
Surprisingly, not every worker has access to the right training. The World Economic Forum reports that six in 10 workers will require training in key areas such as analytical thinking, creative thinking and AI and big data skills by 2027, but only half of workers are seen to have access to the right training.
More and more, companies understand how important it is to equip employees with the tools they need to be successful by offering professional development programs. These programs aren’t just attractive benefits to entice talented job candidates; they are essential for personal growth and career advancement in an era of constant change due to new, innovative and disruptive technologies. Providing cutting-edge professional development programs is critical for employers to improve efficiency, increase employee retention and attract the best talent.
Learning for everyone
At Dassault Systemes, we consider ourselves a learning company. Professional development is core to our commitment to building strong, cohesive teams and nurturing a culture of productivity. Our programs ensure that we attract and retain talented and motivated professionals.
Passion to Learn
Since 2023 we have been pleased to offer the Passion to Learn program, a five-week-long worldwide supplemental curriculum to our 3DEXPERIENCE University library of courses, technical certifications and classroom training, and is designed to inspire our people to develop new skills and expand knowledge through variety of webinars, workshops and hands-on experiences.
“With the Passion to Learn program we wanted to create a shared and engaging ‘Learning Moment(um)’ inviting all employees to develop their skills with short, interactive training sessions,” said Natacha Becard, director, Learn & Grow, Dassault Systèmes. “This program really enables us to put learning under the spotlight, put our value ‘IFWE have the Passion to Learn’ in action and position Dassault Systèmes as a learning company. Every year, we are structuring the program with training opportunities linked to the company strategy, to key skills we want to develop, as well as the inputs we receive from employees and managers.”
Passion to Learn’s 2024 program Boost Your Skills, Enhance Your Dassault Systèmes Journey is focused on the fundamental concept of developing a growth mindset. Popularized by psychologist Carol Dweck, a growth mindset is the belief that our abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. It’s about embracing challenges, persisting in the face of setbacks, and seeing failures as opportunities for growth. Employees could select any variety of learning modules from the following three track themes:
- Boost your leadership skills to develop soft skills.
- Boost 3DEXPERIENCE platform usage to become a 3DEXPERIENCE platform master.
- Boost Dassault Systèmes knowledge to expand understanding of Dassault Systèmes and AI.
Managing the unknown
A highlight of the Passion to Learn program was a live talk by Chipden Valibhay, a research fellow at the Center for Management Science, Mines Paris-PSL Bauhaus of Transitions. Valibhay led a thoughtful discussion on how to manage the unknown and learn strategies for navigating it by adopting flexible strategies and fostering a resilient mindset in order to recognize potential obstacles and turn them into opportunities for growth. In an environment of constant change, learning how to embrace and work through uncertainty is a crucial skill for personal and professional success.
Valibhay believes that as technology continues to advance rapidly, those who embrace continuing professional development opportunities may find themselves more comfortably adapting to change and even embracing it. This helps set a professional foundation for success in a future filled with innovation, resilience, and always-growing expertise.
“All the training courses are providing simple and relevant keys to reach a growth mindset or manage complex situations.”
Laurent Colombaud, WW Sales Ops Excellence Expert, Dassault Systèmes
The Passion to Learn 2024 program is now complete, and we are proud to share that over 7,500 people enrolled in the multiple activities offered globally, locally, onsite and online during events, webinars and workshops.
Discover additional testimonies on the following Linkedin post Learning is our DNA.
Skill advancement and growth
In addition to Passion to Learn, Dassault Systèmes offers many additional career development programs and opportunities to employees. In 2023, employees logged 526,000 hours and attended 4,018 training sessions. That’s an average of 23 hours per employee per year.
- Through the Rise Up program, employees have an opportunity to develop inclusive leadership skills and learn best practices for managing cross-functional responsibilities.
- Our Graduate program is aimed at helping junior employees accelerate their knowledge acquisition to prepare for new roles at Dassault Systèmes.
- Our mentoring program helps our people to learn from peers, accelerate learning and customize development goals.
- Through our 3DS University, we offer certifications for specific job roles to help people perform effectively in their current jobs and teams while preparing them for constantly evolving workforce requirements.
- And finally, Dassault Systemes 3DEXPERIENCE Edu also offers an online portal giving learning opportunities for students, professional learners and academic institutions to learn about our products and solutions.
Practicing continuous learning and development can be transformative by helping you step outside your comfort zone. Professional development is not merely important but truly indispensable for helping to foster both personal and career advancement, by helping you reach your goals and embracing new opportunities that lead to lifelong success.
Learn more
Read more testimonials from the Passion to Learn participants Linkedin: Learning is in our DNA
Visit the Dassault Systèmes Edu portal today.
Maryann is a Senior Communications Manager on the Dassault Systèmes corporate communications team. She’s been with the company for over 16 years, in roles ranging from marketing communications,internal communications, creative and branding, blogging to marketing programs manager.