Business Education: Autodesk expands its designer training

San Rafael-based tech company Autodesk Inc. expanded a training program for displaced architects, engineers and designers last week, offering discounts to businesses that employ the workers and allowing access to 13 additional software products.

“It was about six months ago or so, we started to see what was happening in the marketplace; we heard more and more of our customers were downsizing, and we wanted to offer people a chance to take advantage of the downtime to kind of retool and make themselves more competitive to future employers,” said Autodesk Executive Vice President of Sales and Services Ken Bado.

The Autodesk Assistance Program first launched about six weeks ago offers unemployed professionals free, 12-month access to 17 software downloads as well as Internet-based and on-site training sessions. The company has about 3,500 education centers nationally.

So far about 4,600 people across the United States have signed up for the program, which does include a certification process.

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Sonoma County will host an informational fair this month for those interested in training and education related to the emerging sustainability-minded industry.

The Green Jobs Zone will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the Solar Fair in Santa Rosa June 20. The program sponsored by Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers – Local 551 will provide resources for garnering training and instruction for positions related to energy efficiency and solar energy development.

“Sonoma County is leading the way in adopting solar technologies,” Ms. Evans said. “This is already starting to drive Sonoma County’s next wave of economic growth. Our community needs to nurture and expand this path to a sustainable future.”

The legislator will also serve as the moderator of a panel discussion called “Finding a Green Job in the New Economy.”

The Community Action Partnership, Green MBA programs, Green Academy—Montgomery High School, Santa Rosa Junior College, Solar Living Institute and Sonoma State University are among the groups represented in the Green Jobs Zone.

The fair is free and will take place at the Finley Center at 2060 W. College Ave.

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Sonoma State University business school student Scott Cromie had been the president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and was interning at an area law firm when he decided that law was not the direction he wanted to take his career. He stepped down as president of his fraternity and started doing freelance design work.

He got a gig doing some design work for Germany-based software publishing company Topware Interactive, which has a marketing and sales office in Petaluma.

Roughly six months later he was called by the head of the U.S. sales and marketing division of James Seaman, who asked if he would come on board as an intern. He designed t-shirts aimed at the gaming community. Then he was asked to come on as a regular employee after graduating in May.

For Sonoma State business students there are many opportunities for internships. Among them the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Fireman’s Fund, Trinchero Family Estates, Aflac, County of Sonoma Economic Development Board and the Sonoma Mountain Business Cluster, among others.

As an employer, it is beneficial both during the internship but also afterward, an Aflac manager said.

“My interest in developing the program at Aflac is to work with juniors and seniors and help expand our hiring pool for when they leave school,” said Michael Booth, regional sales coordinator for Aflac.

For more information on how to participate either as an intern or as a business looking for interns, visit www.sonoma.edu/sbe/internships.

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The Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce last year launched the Wheel program, Worksite Held Employee English Learning, and it has been a success.

The program is designed for employers to give opportunity for growth to its employees by teaching English to employees who do not have English as their first language.

The program consists of the Literacy Fiesta, the Family Literacy Parent Workshop and the Books to Work Project.

Filtration Group, Hilton Sonoma Wine Country and La Tortilla Factory have participated, and currently the Hyatt is getting a program together.

For information on how to start a program at your work, contact Kelly Bass at the chamber at 707-545-1414 ext. 16 or kellyb@santarosachamber.com.

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Submit items for this column to Jenna Loceff at jloceff@busjrnl.com, 707-521-4259 or fax 707-521-5292.