What is the Benefit of getting certified in a simulation tool?
Employers often cite two things when asked about the skills engineers need to be considered hirable. First, engineers—even mechanical engineers—need a basic understanding of programming concepts. Second, and the crux of this article, engineers need to understand design concepts beyond parametric computer-aided design (CAD) by branching into tools like computer-aided engineering (CAE). In other words, a general understanding of simulation will help engineers hit the ground running.
The goals of simulation usually revolve around predicting the performance of a system with a high degree of fidelity, early in the design process to save development time and money. An employee who can demonstrate an adherence to those goals, regardless of the software tool used, is going to be valuable. To help prove these skills, many certifications are available in the field of engineering simulation.
What Certification Options Are Available?
The big hitters in the simulation landscape have systems in place to certify that users of their software have a particular set of skills. Delivery methods, scope and testing procedures differ between these certifications—and not all prices are listed. So, to offer engineers a good place to start, here is a basic comparison of the major certification opportunities available today.
Ansys has a full complement of certification available via its Ansys Innovation Space. The certifications are categorized based on skill levels ranging from associate, to simulation and professional. Several different physics options are available at each level. The associate level certifications appear to be broader and cover categories like structure, fluids and electromagnetics. For instance, an associate certification for the “Fundamentals of Compressible Flows” costs around $250 and the test can be taken on the user’s computer—assuming it meets the minimal technical requirements. The test is split into theory-based and simulation-based portions. Cloud access to the software is available for eligible test takers. Engineers have two attempts at taking the test as long as the second attempt is thirty days after the first.
Siemens Digital Industries Software offers several different certifications through its Xcelerator Academy. The FloEFD Associate exam, for example, “validates knowledge of FloEFD fundamentals around project creation, solving, post processing, meshing and parametric study using FloEFD for Solid Edge/NX/Creo/CATIA.” These exams cost $150 for a one-time test. Testing is done via a virtual proctor system using remote authentication. Three more attempts can be made for each certification within a six-month period but must be at least 21 days apart from any previous attempts.
Autodesk has an expansive learning environment that comes with numerous certification options and preparation lessons. The “Autodesk Certified Professional in Simulation for Static Stress Analysis” exam costs $200 and consists of 45-60 exam questions that can take around two hours to complete. Learning paths are set up to show what the certification exams cover and help users to reinforce their skills before the exam. Tests are administered through PearsonVUE learning centers and require the user to have an existing Autodesk account.
PTC offers certifications for its users under the PTC University umbrella. Users who sign up for the monthly LEARN subscription have access to various certification opportunities from PTC. The closest one to simulation is the Creo Analysis Professional Certification exam. It centers around the idea that parametric models need to be analyzed through simulation before being released. It will take about three hours to complete, and engineers can practice for the exam using a study guide.
NAFEMS, the International Association for the Engineering Modelling, Analysis and Simulation Community, is a non-profit focused on how engineering simulation can enhance the industry. It has no specific tie to one software provider but works with them all. Its Professional Simulation Engineering (PSE) certification spans entry, standard and advanced competency levels. Unlike the other certifications explored here, the NAFEMS certification is more of a portfolio of completed projects that the user sends to the organization to explain their experience in the industry. The process feels more like that of someone working to become a professional engineer than a certified simulation user.
COMSOL has a certification program for its superusers that’s a little different than most. Companies that show extensive experience using the software are granted the title of COMSOL Certified Consultants. These consultants, according to COMSOL, are listed as the best of the best and are advertised to users of the software. There is no published method for becoming a certified consultant, so it likely involves demonstrating competence using the software for multiple applications.
Are There Cons to Earning a Certification?
The only negatives to earning a certification are the effort you put into preparing for the certification test and the costs you accrue to take the tests. For an engineer with twenty years of experience looking to move to a different company in the same industry, certification might not be necessary. That engineer could build an online portfolio of their work and send it with a resume.
Entry level engineers, on the other hand, can benefit from any boost to a CV that will make them stand out from the crowd. Having a list of simulation certifications on a resume can be the thing that pushes the engineer’s application from the ‘maybe’ to the ‘yes’ pile.
A large company might use certifications to signify that an employee is able to move between pay grades or business units. Large companies are also more likely to pay for these users to take the certification tests as it makes the employee more valuable to the company and its customers.
Small companies might have an array of customers who need different skills depending on the project. A small core of engineers at a small engineering company could be working on a fabrication project one month, a quality control issue the next month and a fluid flow project after that. Paying for its employees to become certified in each of these different specializations can add up over time. Additionally, the preparation for these certification exams can distract the employee’s time and attention from doing the work instead of proving that they can do the work. As a result, there is a lower incentive for small companies to send their engineers to complete these certifications.
When working with the government, however, certifications can be required to win contracts. These requirements can be written right into the request for proposals and any firm with employees meeting these certification requirements has a competitive advantage over other contenders. Similarly, any of the large organizations inside the federal government can require employees to have certain specifications or certifications to jump between levels on the general schedule. The high number of applicants for any one position or promotion make these types of delineations necessary, and a certification in a simulation tool based on the job is an easy yes/no sorting tool. Ansys even has its own certification subsection for government employees or suppliers related to its Ansys Government Initiatives.
How Do We Tie It All Together?
Simulation software companies like to actively certify their users as it incentivizes more to use their software. All of this happens so that these companies can have more registered users, certified users and people familiar with a specific brand of software. As a result, simulation companies often assign personnel, computing power and additional resources to build and maintain certifications. Training is often available to brush up on skills before taking any certification exam.
Overall, the idea of becoming a certified engineering simulation user should be a net positive for any engineer. Every specific situation will need to be analyzed to make sure that the benefits outweigh the cost, but proving your competency is a good thing. So why not choose it as your new year’s resolution?