Computer Aided Design (CAD) Education and Training for Beginners

Discover where to find computer aided design (CAD) education and training for beginners
By Nikki Wheeler Having a computer aided design education can create a lot of business opportunities. A business with CAD design training and experience can find work in many industries, from interior design, fashion design and product design to engineering and architecture.
 

There are many courses of action one can take in computer aided design training, and even options for novice CAD users. Consider the following when choosing the right computer aided design (CAD) education and training for beginners:

1. Think about whether a CAD training certification would benefit your business.

2. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of a self-taught or correspondence computer aided design education.

3. Determine a budget to spend or an amount the business is willing to invest in CAD training.

Go to a beginner-level CAD class

A beginner-level CAD class from a learning institution is a great place to start if CAD drafting is going to be an essential part of your career or business. The classroom is the best way to learn with hands-on training, visual demonstrations and feedback from instructors. Most classroom programs award certificates upon completion.
Try: ITT Technical Institute has locations across the nation, and offers beginner-level CAD training that is the starting point toward an associate or bachelor's degree. Take beginner-level courses that work toward a professional certificate from Lincoln Educational Services.

Learn CAD design with video tutorials

There are many video tutorials on basic CAD drafting, which is a good starting point for those who already have a grasp on hand drafting or are simply curious about CAD. Some tutorials are free and may be worth watching before starting training, but some courses cost a fee and are in-depth.
Try: Marrutt Software Training offers in-depth video tutorials for around $125 on the most recent version of AutoCAD, and free video tutorials on older versions. Sketch-Plus.com offers a series of online instructional video tutorials for different versions of AutoCAD.

Take an online CAD course

There are great online courses available for beginner CAD training, ranging from free to high fees depending on the quality of training. If you are already computer savvy and can learn well as a self-starter, online courses are ideal for scheduling flexibility.
Try: CAD International offers beginner-level online training courses that lead toward a certification; try a free demo on their website. The CAD Correspondence Institute is a quality in-depth training program that awards a certificate upon completion of the program.

• If your business is paying for CAD training, research to find places that are certified and have the credentials of a technical school.