Protolabs, a digital manufacturer with a global reach, has launched the new inspirON academy. A series of free CPD-accredited online training courses, inspirON academy aims to tackle a widening skills gap by helping engineers at any stage in their career to increase their understanding of designing for injection moulding, 3-D printing and CNC machining.

Created by engineers for engineers, the courses incorporate between 6–9 hours’ worth of engaging and dynamic content — including articles, webinars and videos — enabling people to learn in a way that suits them best. The courses cover the fundamentals of these three key production processes, including how to choose the right technology and material for a component and how to design with manufacturability in mind to create more effective and cost-efficient parts. A final assessment and certificate are also included.

Chris Bentley, EMEA development engineer at Panduit, which develops smarter, scalable network infrastructure and industrial electrical wiring solutions, said: “As someone who has been in and around the 3-D printing industry for years without really understanding the fundamental principles, I found the course really valuable as the content was well communicated and structured, and very relevant.”

Rob Musselle, customer engineer manager for Europe at Protolabs, added: “It has been widely publicised that the engineering sector is facing a growing skills gap. Learning and development have a key role to play in future-proofing manufacturing businesses and enabling individuals to master new tools and technologies.

“The inspirON academy is part of our drive to educate the next generation of engineers. The courses we have created draw on the combined expertise of our team to help individuals develop their skillset — whether they have just started in the industry or are seasoned professionals looking for a refresher.”

Protolabs encourages those completing its courses to share their feedback, as the company looks to improve and develop the content further. Anyone can access the inspirON academy for free via the Protolabs website: here.