How Autodesk keeps its data science team's skills fresh

Autodesk is a technology company that spans architecture, engineering, construction, product design, manufacturing, media, and entertainment. Through AutoCAD, the company's flagship computer-aided design (CAD) software, and a suite of other products, it empowers innovators everywhere to solve challenges big and small. From greener buildings to smarter products to memerizing blockbosters, Autodesk software helps customers design and make a better world for all.

The challenge: Business changes required different skills

Autodesk was first introduced to DataCamp through Damian O'Farrill, their director of data science and revenue analytics. Prior to joining Autodesk, he had a passion for upskilling and was constantly adding to his own skill set.

Damian brought this mindset to Autodesk when he was put in charge of the growing data science team, which is made up of talented, data-proficient individuals. Early on his tenure, Damian's team used their skills to create machine learning models that improved Autodesk's operational efficiency.

However, the team understood that the ever-changing nature of data science meant they would need a way to keep their knowledge up-to-date with the latest developments.

As Autodesk was transitioning from a perpetual business model to a subscription-based one, Damian wanted to upskill his team quickly. Having previously grown his own skills on the DataCamp platform, DataCamp for Business was the obviuos choice for Damian when designing his team's data science learning program.

The solution: Self-service learning at scale

Autodesk's data science and product management teams could study DataCamp content in their own time to develop their skills. This included topics like joining data in SQL, supervised learning with scikit-learn, and working with geospacial data in Python. Damian's team soon found success through learning content that they could, with a little reframking, make relevant toward solving Autodesk's business challenges. 

For example, the team took a course on market basket analysis and reapplied the techniques to solve a problem their sales team was having. 

"With the changing data science landscape, my team needed a more up-to-date, quick-to-ingest, bite-size approach to learning," said Damian. "Which we found in DataCamp."

The extensiveness of DataCamp curriculum and the presece of pre-made skill tracks meant that Damian could keep everyone's data skills sharp while ensuring that what they were learning could be easily applied to their day-to-day work. 

Going beyond learning to hiring

Learning on DataCamp proved so benefial for Damian's team that the platform is now a key qualificiation for potential new hires. In other words, the team looks for potential new hires that have DataCamp on their profiles.

"When people reach out to me asking how they can improve their hcnaces of being hired on my team at Autodesk, I tell them: 'Go and do some learning on DataCamp and build an amazing portfolio and profile.' This is a clear indication of commitment and passion for data, and it makes it easier for me to identify star candidates," says Damian. "I can't say I feel the same when they tell me about learning they've done through other platforms."