According to the World Economic Forum, by 2025, 97 million new jobs will be created due to advances in technology and automation. However, according to a Korn Ferry extensive report, by 2030, over 85 million jobs could go unfilled due to lack of enough skilled people to take them.
Today, colleges and universities must step up their game in order to update and upgrade their offers in order to offer their graduates the right and necessary skills they will need tomorrow. Initiating dialogue and accelerating transformation through strategic IT partnerships, higher education institutions can reach more students and prepare them for opportunities to successfully join the workforce.
Cisco has recently announced that Cisco Networking Academy, a global IT skills-to-jobs program, is committed to advance digital literacy globally. The program announcement is an ambitious next phase goal as Cisco Networking Academy celebrates 25 years. The commitment aims to empower 25 million people with digital skills over the next ten years in order to position them for in-demand jobs.
Cisco Networking Academy’s mission is to provide an equitable and inclusive workforce development program on a global scale. A new partnership with Experis, a global leader in IT professional resourcing and managed services will connect learners with jobs, targeting 1,000 people in new IT roles in the first year. It is paramount to empower the workforce of the future with education, certifications, and career opportunities to avoid a skills gap that could leave millions of future jobs unfilled.
The recent launch of Skills for All, a free, mobile-first program that delivers leading-edge learning experiences, including self-paced courses, interactive tools, and career resources that are designed by industry experts promotes new training and education opportunities. Also part of Cisco Networking Academy’s latest programs is a new cybersecurity learning pathway that culminates in an entry-level certification to provide learners with skills to earn entry-level security jobs in the fast growing security industry sector.
Cisco has also committed to train an additional 200,000 students in the United States over the next three years, as well as partner with non-profits and academic institutions to bring more courses and opportunities to learners around the world.
Cisco Networking Academy partners with colleges and universities
Network academy courses are designed to help faculty teach the technical skills students need to land jobs in Information Technology (IT), Cybersecurity, Networking and more, according to Cisco.
In Brussels, Belgium, Odisee University partnered with Cisco Networking Academy to offer advanced education and exchange programs for students from over 100 nationalities. According to Kirsten Simons, Regional Manager at Cisco Corporate Affairs, Europe, there is a shortage of 800,000 to one million IT professionals and Network Academy’s high quality courses equip students to be more qualified for the job market. Courses include networking, programmable infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
Students can choose from self-paced online courses or in-person classes. Networking Academy provides the tools and the instructors at Odisee bring the program to life. “Since I started using Networking Academy courses, I found they are more practice-oriented, more hands-on, and more related to the real jobs that our students will do in the future,” said Yvan Rooseleer, Director/Instructor Trainer at Odisee University College.
Instructors get access to plenty of support resources, including training, accreditation, assessment tools, and collaborative digital communities positioning them to help students excel as the results show: 94 percent of Odisee students found a job within three months.
Approaching tech learning and unlocking student opportunities
The opportunities are not only for college and university students. In Calgary, Canada technology workers are in short supply. To tackle this problem, Mike Simoens, an entrepreneur active in Calgary’s non-profit community, teamed with Mark Leonard, a certified Cisco Networking Academy instructor, to create YYC Net Lab with a mission of fostering personal development in computer networking by delivering low-cost access to training for all Alberta residents. YYC Net Lab prepares a diverse range of students for globally recognized industry certification exams.
“We need an education model that can serve students with a more diverse and not necessarily technical background,” said Simoens. “Students need a flexible training schedule, because most have responsibilities that make classroom-based study impossible. But self-paced alone won’t provide effective training. Mentorship and collaboration are incredibly important, especially when the training is an entirely new area for a student,” he said.
The training is complemented by mentoring with local businesses, students develop critical thinking skills together with technology knowledge that employers value. After completing the program, many students were inspired to return as mentors for new students. Three students are taking their skills a step further by becoming certified as Networking Academy instructors.