How certifications are forging new pathways to employment

As young children, we learned reading, writing and arithmetic. A few years later, we’re introduced to subjects like history, the sciences and foreign languages. School days taught us not only standard subject matter, but where our interests lie. Our primary and secondary school days pointed toward university or vocational education, for more focused studies, as an essential stop before starting a career.

And so it’s gone for generations. But times are changing. Technology isn’t just re-shaping the future of work, it’s altering pathways to employment.

In recent years, some of the largest employers in the world and the fastest-growing job categories have begun to view skill certifications as being on-par with pieces of paper from institutions of higher learning. In our post-pandemic world, the hottest jobs are a combination of timeless gigs, like nurses and healthcare professionals, and those transformed by digitalization, like social media manager and software developers. In either case, many of the most in-demand skills – from collaborating to coding – can be developed outside the confines of traditional classrooms. In other words, skills and certifications have become as important as higher educational degrees when it comes to evaluating applicants. And in turn, universities – and employers themselves – have shifted toward teaching the specific capabilities that companies need.

In the United States, major companies like Netflix and Tesla no longer require a college degree for many positions. Some, like Apple and Google, have launched new skills development and certification programs to teach highly desirable tech skills, such as coding, data analytics, UX design and other key areas. LinkedIn advertises free courses covering everything from project management tools to interview prep. There’s been rapid growth in massive open online courses (MOOCs) and the European Union recently launched a Digital Skills & Jobs platform.

At Dassault Systèmes, we believe in and see constant evidence of the potential of young people to change the world. From the interns who work side-by-side with our employees to the student designs populating our social platforms to the participants in our annual Project of the Year competition, examples are everywhere. Students using design and simulation software are developing everything from sports cars to wind turbines to a turtle-like robot cleaning plastics from our oceans. Higher education degrees are indicators of employability, but they need not be not the only ones.

Introducing the 3DEXPERIENCE Student Editions 

Inspired by the potential of young people and prevailing workforce trends, Dassault Systèmes has launched a new “Click, Buy & Certify” offering designed specifically to help students prepare for their futures by learning and creating with next-gen industry solutions, like CATIA, SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, and obtaining certifications to help with employability. The 3DEXPERIENCE Student Editions include a bundle of software, with apps for design, simulation, manufacturing and collaboration, along with a curated learning path and certifications, as well as access to a community of peers and Dassault Systèmes experts. Like the pandemic has taught us work doesn’t need to be limited by hours or office walls, the 3DEXPERIENCE Student Edition learning paths can be completed from anytime, anywhere.

The future of work isn’t a far off concept – it’s already here – and, despite digital transformations, it’s not exclusively online. Students and job seekers need both hard and soft skills to boost their employability. And we must create more, easier pathways to employment.

Please watch this video to learn more about the 3DEXPERIENCE Student Editions.