Auto CAD and SolidWorks
AAA Institute · Van Nuys, CA
- Cost
- $6,000
- Length
- 11 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- 78%
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 26
- Finished the program
- 100%Based on 35 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- 78%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $15,000A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
The job this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
No regional figures for this program's city
Van Nuys is not one of the metropolitan or rural areas California names when it publishes wages and openings. A neighbouring area's figures would look exactly like a correct answer, so none are shown and the statewide figures stand alone. About half of California's programs are in this position.
Architectural and Civil Drafters
Job ads may call this: Draftsman · Draftsperson · Civil Drafter · Drafting Technician
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
- Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, and dikes, working from sketches or notes.
- Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans.
- Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Draw maps, diagrams, and profiles, using cross-sections and surveys, to represent elevations, topographical contours, subsurface formations, and structures.
- Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software.
- Supervise and train other technologists, technicians, and drafters.
- Determine the order of work and method of presentation, such as orthographic or isometric drawing.
- Typical pay in California
- $78,662per year
- Projected openings
- 10,740
- Projected change
- +7%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Two-year degree — 32% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Associate's degree. 40% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 1%
- High school diploma
- 10%
- Started college, no degree
- 29%
- Two-year degree
- 32%
- Four-year degree
- 23%
- Master's degree
- 5%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.7%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
This training provides instruction in drawing construction with cad for architectural drafting based on conventional drafting techniques (basic, intermediate, and advanced levels), a review of basic math skills applicable to cad, architectural terminology, drafting standards and methods, computer fundamentals, employment literacy, as well as occupational safety guidelines. This course is also an introduction to the 3d modeler solidworks and will take you to advance level of drawing. The course will focus on parts, assemblies and drawings. Topics will include sketching in solidworks, creating relationships, parametric constraints, 3d tools, configurations, associative 2d part drawings, design tables, and assemblies.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
El Proyecto WorkSource-OneStop, Sun ValleyComprehensive center
Phone: 818-504-0334
9024 Laurel Canyon BlvdEl Proyecto WorkSource CenterSun Valley, CA 91352about 5.7 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Evening, Saturday by appointment
Has a veterans' representative
South Valley WorkSource CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 818-237-9099
20920 Warner Center LaneSuote CWoodland Hills, CA 91367about 5.8 miles away
Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm Monday - Friday
Has a veterans' representative
Northeast San Fernando Valley AJCCAffiliate site
Phone: 818-482-1754
13356 Eldrige AvenueGoodwill Industries of Southern CaliforniaSylmar, CA 91342about 8.6 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →