Training for the CAD Coordinator role varies from industry to industry and even from organization to organization. The courses required include subjects ranging from technical software skills like Autodesk AutoCAD, Revit, Civil 3D, and blueprint reading to standard office software like Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office. Consider the following fields where you can find CAD Coordinator positions:

  • Architectural
  • Construction
  • Engineering
  • Manufacturing
  • Operations
  • Product Design

Finding the best courses for your career path may require knowing which industry or sector you plan to search for a CAD Coordinator position. However, some skills will be essential regardless of the field. Read on to learn more about this high-tech role and the types of courses you must take to qualify for it.

What is a CAD Coordinator?

A CAD Coordinator generally provides support for design, engineering, or manufacturing teams. Responsibilities for CAD Coordinator positions vary widely, and different industries can have unique requirements and unusual job titles. They can range from updating software to providing training or maintaining CAD standards.

CAD Coordinators may design and prepare electronic working plans, maps, and project drawings. Others receive customer 2D drawings and prepare them for release to a CAD design or engineering team. Firmwide CAD Coordinators typically work in a supervisory capacity, managing and coordinating all CAD-related activities.

CAD Coordinators are oftentimes experts in building information modeling (BIM), and some positions have titles like CAD/BIM Design Coordinator. These roles are often comparable to those with titles like Firmwide CAD Coordinator, which means they support multiple design and engineering teams. Read on for additional requirements and specifics for this unique position.

What Skills Will I Need to Learn to Become a CAD Coordinator?

CAD Coordinator skills vary by industry or sector, location, and the experience required for an individual position. Most CAD Coordinator positions are not entry-level CAD roles. More likely, a first step toward the CAD Coordinator title will require a tech pro to become a Drafter or Designer first. However, some of these roles also require previous experience or a particular degree.

Because CAD Coordinator job requirements vary, a list of tools and skills required for every possible position is beyond the scope of this article. However, consider the following examples as requirements for a majority of CAD Coordinator roles:

  • Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop): Although not every CAD Coordinator role requires Creative Cloud skills, many CAD professionals know one or more of these programs.
  • Autodesk AutoCAD: The king of CAD software, AutoCAD is essential for most coordination roles.
  • Autodesk Civil 3D: CAD pros use Civil 3D for roads and highways, rail design, and large infrastructure projects.
  • Autodesk Inventor: Inventor is part of the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection and is popular with designers and engineers.
  • Autodesk Navisworks: Navisworks is essential for 3D model review and coordination for AEC, product design, and manufacturing.
  • Autodesk Revit: Revit is also part of the Autodesk AEC Collection.
  • Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel): Like Adobe, Microsoft software programs are common across every industry and sector.

Additional industry-specific skills can also include:

  • Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro: This cloud-based design collaboration and management software helps users with multiple tasks, from centralizing Civil 3D files and simplifying Revit co-authoring to enhancing AutoCAD Plant 3D collaboration.
  • Autodesk Navisworks: Navisworks comes in multiple versions, including Navisworks Manage and Navisworks Simulate. All help with file and data integration, 5D project scheduling, and BIM coordination with AutoCAD.
  • CADWorx: CADWorx is an AutoCAD add-on from Hexagon AB. It is for 3D plant design for greenfield and brownfield projects.
  • CATIA: Another popular 3D CAD Software is CATIA from Dassault Systèmes. Some organizations use AutoCAD for 2D drafting and CATIA for 3D modeling.
  • Creo: Creo 3D CAD Software from PTC (formerly Parametric Technology Corporation) is another option for those in product design and manufacturing. Like CATIA, some organizations use AutoCAD for 2D drafting and design and Creo for 3D modeling.
  • Electronic file transfer: File storage and exchange are crucial for CAD-centered roles, and most companies have a preferred method: either file transfer protocol (FTP) or SharePoint, a cloud-based server.
  • Newforma Project Center: Newforma offers cloud-based project information management solutions tailored to the AECO industry (architecture, engineering, construction, and operations). Their Project Center software is for on-site project information management.
  • SolidWorks: SolidWorks from Dassault Systèmes is another CAD/CAE product. It is comparable to Autodesk Inventor or PTC Creo Elements/Pro.

A final consideration is that of management, in particular, project management. Those who plan a career track of Firmwide CAD Coordinator may need in-depth management training specific to the architectural, engineering, construction, operations, or manufacturing industry.

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What Courses Should I Enroll in to Become a CAD Coordinator?

If you are starting your CAD training, you might wonder what courses you should take. CAD professionals enroll in diverse training programs, from introductory AutoCAD bootcamps to courses that train them to sit for a certification credential. Some beginners take a single introductory CAD class to determine whether the CAD Coordinator career track is for them, while others enroll in immersive certificate or certification programs.

Your path might differ significantly from another’s since CAD Coordinators can work in architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, or product design. A few courses are relevant for nearly any CAD Coordinator role, such as courses that teach blueprint reading or AutoCAD basics. However, consider the following courses excellent options for a majority of CAD Coordinator positions.

VDCI CAD/BIM Certificate Program

Few courses promise to deliver all the skills and tools required to become a CAD Coordinator. However, if you choose only one course, consider the CAD/BIM Certificate Program from the Virtual Design & Construction Institute (VDCI). This nationally accredited institution offers advanced training for positions in CAD, building information modeling (BIM), and other relevant roles in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) fields. 

The VDCI CAD/BIM Certificate is an immersive 10-month program encompassing 400 hours of training time. This course introduces students to AutoCAD, starting with drawing floor plans as students build a residential portfolio project. The program then moves into intermediate AutoCAD, including layer management, plotting, and other related skills.

The certificate program continues with introductory and intermediate Revit courses. This essential building information modeling (BIM) tool helps users create 3D building models as they document the project in 2D construction documents. In the intermediate Revit training module, program attendees learn advanced methods of documenting building projects in Revit Architecture. Topics include design options and custom schedules.

After the Revit training modules, participants continue their training with BIM Construction Documents I and II. These courses focus on integrating AutoCAD and Revit, where students import AutoCAD drawings and create a site model. The project is comparable to real-world projects an AEC team creates with Revit architectural tools. BIM Construction Documents II concludes with the completed capstone project, including schedules, construction documents, and architectural details from the BIM model.

Finally, participants choose 100 to 120 hours of elective programs to complement their training. These can range from blueprint reading for residential or commercial projects to construction estimating or site utilities to essential office programs like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign. Check course listings for more detailed information.

VDCI AutoCAD Professional Bundle

Another option for CAD Coordinators is the AutoCAD Professional Bundle from the Virtual Design & Construction Institute. Like the CAD/BIM Certificate program, this package of courses focuses on CAD for building information modeling (BIM) but with a different emphasis. Here, the focus is on AutoCAD throughout the entire program.

The bundle begins with the same four courses as the CAD/BIM Certificate program: Introduction to AutoCAD, Intermediate AutoCAD, AutoCAD Construction Documents I, and AutoCAD Construction Documents II. However, rather than continue with the Revit and BIM Construction modules, the AutoCAD Professional Bundle concludes with CAD 304, a CAD Detailing program.

Course bundles contrast with fast-track programs like the AutoCAD Professional Fast-Track Program in several notable ways. For example, while either can prepare students for Autodesk CAD certification exams, the course bundles give them greater flexibility. However, applicants should note that course bundles are not accredited, whereas fast-track programs are.

VDCI CAD & Project Management

Another training program appropriate to many on the CAD Coordinator career track is the CAD & Project Management course from VDCI. This intensive course features 20 hours of online learning and two hours of on-demand video lessons. Attendees learn essential skills, including managing CAD projects, updating inherited or legacy projects, and succeeding in a supervisory role.

Autodesk Certified Instructors teach the CAD & Project Management class. Participants may schedule attendance around due dates for maximum flexibility and access course materials from anywhere. VDCI offers a 30-day free software trial for students enrolled in any course, bundle, or program that requires Autodesk AutoCAD, Revit, or Civil 3D.

VDCI CAD Detailing

Another shorter course relevant to those on the CAD Coordinator career path is the VDCI CAD Detailing program. This intermediate-level class features 20 hours of online learning, including around four hours of on-demand video lessons.

CAD Detailing focuses on honing the skills needed to create construction document sets. In this program, participants create architectural detail drawings from scratch and clip information from other construction drawings. The curriculum includes lab exercises, lectures, and hands-on demonstrations. Check course listings for more details, including any prerequisite information.

VDCI Blueprint Reading

Firmwide CAD Coordinators typically manage and coordinate all CAD-related activities in their organization. This means they should be able to read blueprints, whether they create them or not. VDCI offers two blueprint reading programs: Blueprint Reading for Residential Construction and Blueprint Reading for Commercial Construction.

In these intensive 18-hour courses, a licensed architect instructor teaches participants to understand the relationships between documents in blueprint packages. While the programs are open to drafters, designers, and architectural or engineering interns, those on the CAD Coordinator career track are also welcome. Attendees may schedule attendance around due dates for maximum flexibility and the course includes PDF download materials. No software is required.

Learn the Skills to Become a CAD Coordinator at Noble Desktop

While some CAD roles will require expertise in a system software like SolidWorks from Dassault Systèmes, most will require AutoCAD. Training for a CAD Coordinator role typically starts with one or more Autodesk programs, from AutoCAD to Revit, Fusion 360, and Navisworks.

Noble Desktop provides multiple AutoCAD training options for individuals and organizations. Their AutoCAD Level I class is an 18-hour program available live online via teleconferencing or in person at their state-of-the-art Manhattan headquarters. Beginners learn to create drawings for architectural or mechanical applications. Although in-person classes focus on AutoCAD for PC, Mac users may attend online. Noble offers intermediate and advanced training through AutoCAD Levels II and III classes.

Applicants can save by taking AutoCAD Level I within one of several immersive programs. The following courses include beginner to intermediate or advanced AutoCAD training:

  • AutoCAD Bootcamp - The comprehensive AutoCAD Bootcamp combines AutoCAD Levels I and II for a total of 30 hours of training. Attendees learn basic and intermediate AutoCAD skills like drawing, editing, advanced layer techniques, and data tables in a beginner-friendly curriculum.
  • AutoCAD Masterclass - Noble Desktop’s AutoCAD Masterclass adds an 18-hour advanced AutoCAD Level III course to the AutoCAD Bootcamp modules. While also open to beginners, this 48-hour program covers advanced object types and interface techniques. Graduates rate the AutoCAD Masterclass highly, 4.7 out of 5 stars. 
  • AutoCAD Certification Program - The 54-hour AutoCAD Certification Program adds six hours of private tutoring to the AutoCAD Masterclass curriculum to prepare students to sit for the Autodesk Certificated Professional in AutoCAD for Design and Drafting exam. Tuition also covers proctoring for the exam and a free retake if needed. Attendees can substitute an additional hour of tutoring in place of the exam if they choose. 

Courses like the certification program can help professional AutoCAD users stand out from the field in a crowded job market. However, Autodesk also suggests that the certification exam usually requires between 400 and 1,200 on-the-job hours using the AutoCAD software to prepare for testing.