Cisco announced its goal to train 10 million people in digital and cybersecurity skills, over the next 10 years, across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
As part of its 10-year goal, Cisco aims to equip 25 million individuals with digital skills through its Networking Academy program. This program, which is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, has already reached 17.5 million students across 190 nations worldwide. In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), the program has expanded to 120 countries and has provided training to over 6.3 million students through its partnerships with 5,800 educational institutions and organizations offering Networking Academy courses.
The development of a robust digital economy, which in turn depends on a workforce with digital skills, is essential for the future of innovation, growth, and global competitiveness (or something like that). The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2025, global automation and technological advancements would result in the loss of 85 million jobs and the creation of 97 million new ones. By empowering the workforce of the future through the Networking Academy, Cisco hopes to provide the technical and digital skills necessary for these new vocations to millions of people around the world.
Guy Diedrich, SVP and Chief Innovation Officer, Cisco said “We need a global workforce equipped with digital skills to develop sustainable and secure businesses and more equitable societies. Building a local pool of next-generation talent is critical to long-term social inclusion and economic resilience.”
Diedrich added “It takes an entire ecosystem working together to achieve this. Through Cisco Networking Academy partnering with local organisations, we have impacted the lives of 17.5 million students over the past 25 years.”
Contributing to the EU’s Digital Skills Goals
By 2030, the EU aims to equip at least 80% of its citizens with basic digital skills and have at least 20 million information and communications technology (ICT) specialists employed. Currently, only 54% of Europeans aged between 16 and 74 have basic digital skills. Cisco’s announcement comes as the Union kicks off its European Year of Skills, announced by President Ursula von der Leyen in her latest State of the Union address. In the European Union, Cisco will aim to train 2.6 million people in digital and cybersecurity skills, over the next 10 years, through the Networking Academy and the diverse ecosystem of 2,882 academies on which the program relies.
Wendy Mars, President of Cisco EMEA said “Digital skills are in short supply across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, which should be a cause for concern for all of us.”
Mars added “Without access to a strong talent pool, it will be harder to continue the digital transformation at pace. I’m proud of the achievements of the Cisco Networking Academy to date and look forward to welcoming many more skilled people from diverse backgrounds to the industry.”
With this objective in mind, Cisco has teamed up with Randstad, a renowned player in the human resources services sector, to support individuals in enhancing their digital competencies and preparing them for the rapidly digitalizing job market. The partnership
aims to provide 300,000 people with training in cybersecurity, programming, and infrastructure automation, thereby reskilling and upskilling them. Currently, the collaboration is being implemented in The Netherlands and Italy, with plans to expand to additional countries in the year 2023.
Chris Heutink, Randstad’s COO commented “We are very proud to partner with Cisco to equip the talent of tomorrow with the skills they need to succeed in a fast-changing world of work. Through partnerships such as this one we are supporting talent to turn the skills they gained into opportunities, by combining skilling with access to the labour market.”
