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Key Partners

Status
Start year of the initiative:
1997 – still ongoing.
Next steps of initiative:
Regional expansion and Global expansion: New courses are being developing that address the needs of businesses and students in a continually evolving IT landscape. New ways to offer courses to more people are being examined.
Impact
Country(ies) of impact:
170 countries (9,000 academies)

Number of people impacted annually:
1 million students (5.5 million since its inception in 1997)

Time to intended impact:
Less than 2 years
Metrics:
The impact of the programme is measured through an exit survey, which examines participants’:
- Increased career advancement
- Increased educational advancement
- Increased earnings
- Acquisition of job relevant skills
Benefit to organization:
- Direct benefit to organization
- A pipeline of skilled IT talent for Cisco and its customers, lead generation (e.g. shareholder value, employee engagement)
- Reputation, educational leadership (e.g. publicity, customer satisfaction)
Key Partners

Status
Start year of the initiative:
1997 – still ongoing.
Next steps of initiative:
Regional expansion and Global expansion: New courses are being developing that address the needs of businesses and students in a continually evolving IT landscape. New ways to offer courses to more people are being examined.
Impact
Country(ies) of impact:
170 countries (9,000 academies)

Number of people impacted annually:
1 million students (5.5 million since its inception in 1997)

Time to intended impact:
Less than 2 years
Metrics:
The impact of the programme is measured through an exit survey, which examines participants’:
- Increased career advancement
- Increased educational advancement
- Increased earnings
- Acquisition of job relevant skills
Benefit to organization:
- Direct benefit to organization
- A pipeline of skilled IT talent for Cisco and its customers, lead generation (e.g. shareholder value, employee engagement)
- Reputation, educational leadership (e.g. publicity, customer satisfaction)
Networking Academy
Submitted by Cisco
Objective
To meet the growing demand for IT talent around the world by providing information and communication technology (ICT) training courses.
Overview and Main Activities
By delivering training courses on ICT skills in 19 languages through a cloud-based learning system, the Networking Academy aims to meet the growing demand for IT talent around the world and gives participants the means to find sustainable employment in high-demand jobs. In this, Cisco uses its core expertise in computer networking technology to develop powerful tools that make IT education learnercentric and interesting. The Academy teaches students how to design, build, troubleshoot and secure computer networks for increased access to career and economic opportunities in communities around the world.
Courses are delivered via a blended learning model consisting of:
- Hands-on learning activities in labs with Cisco equipment that help students develop practical skills, as do national, regional and international competitions
- Network simulations that allow students to experiment with network behaviour (e.g. the Cisco Packet Tracer that lets users design, build, troubleshoot and experiment with virtual networks)
- Online assessments that provide personalized feedback and allow instructors to tailor their coursework accordingly
The programme delivery is built on the basis of a strong public-private partnership model. Cisco partners with educational institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that provide the physical classrooms, computer lab equipment and qualified instructors. Cisco provides the online curriculum, virtual learning tools, and training and professional development for instructors. Instructors receive extensive training and support to help ensure a consistent and up-to-date learning experience for all participating students worldwide.
Almost 50% of the students are based in emerging markets. Female participation accounts for 20% on average and is higher in some regions, such as in the Middle East where it totals 35%. In many cases, the programme helps create educational and economic opportunity for traditionally underserved populations. For example, a programme in Kenya was developed specifically for hearing-impaired students, including the creation of IT-related sign language. In Cambodia, Networking Academy partners with an NGO to train young people living in poverty. Within three years of finishing the programme, students earn $300 per month – nearly five times the national average. Graduates send 30% of their salaries to their families and donate back to the non-profit to support the next class, enabling entire communities to thrive.
As the world faces the dichotomy of high unemployment and a shortage of qualified IT talent, Networking Academy works with businesses to develop programmes that will fill jobs. In Italy, where youth unemployment is over 40%, 97% of participants in a training-internship programme are employed within six months. In the Middle East, Networking Academy partners with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to train 400 refugees from the Palestinian Territories each year at vocational training centres and to place them in four- to eight-week internships. Ninety-six per cent of graduates in Jordan get jobs throughout the UNRWA hosting countries and the Gulf region within one year.
Programme partners include international organizations such as the United Nations, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Trust for the Americas’ Centros POETA, governments around the world such as in the European Union, and several universities, community colleges and secondary schools.
Success Factors and Challenges
Most critical success factors:
- The delivery content, networking technology and cloud computing, which are Cisco’s core expertise
- Global partnerships, which help to scale up the programme and ensure consistent delivery worldwide
- Non-profits, government agencies and other community organizations that embrace the curriculum as a means to foster economic growth and improve financial independence among their constituents
Main challenges:
- Capturing data about the long-term impact of the programme because students join the programme at different stages of life with different goals that often change over time
About the Organization
Website: www.cisco.com
Sector: Information Technology
Size (number of employees): 50,000-100,000
Headquarters: San Francisco, United States
For Further Engagement
Contact name: Harbrinder Kang
Contact position: Senior Director, Corporate Affairs
Email: [email protected]
Contact name: Laura Quintana
Contact position: Senior Director, Corporate Affairs
Email: [email protected]
Contact name: Michael Yutrzenka
Contact position: Senior Director, Corporate Affairs
Email: [email protected]



