DURBAN -
IT networking academy, Cisco has on Wednesday announced a skills and career building programme for learning institutions and individuals worldwide. The release of seven free, self-enroll, online courses will be immediately avaliable to help develop the digital skills of ordinary South Africans.
Cisco followed through on its promise to train an additional 100000 students by 2020, this forms part of the company's commitment to support the workforce of the future as well as the NDP2030 Youth Ambassador programme.
The company said that it would be working with education, industry and local communities in order to skill or retrain individuals by developing youth talent to thrive in the digital economy. This will be done through Cisco's Networking Academy which celebrates its 20th anniversary in South Africa.
Managing Director for Cisco Sub-Saharan Africa, Cathy Smith, said that "the future global competitiveness of South Africa will be determined by our commitment as a nation and as employers we have the skills required for a thriving digital economy."
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Speaking on the launch, Minister Jeff Radebe said he'd previously identified ICT as a way to lay a solid foundation for rapid and inclusive economic growth within the country. "Together with Cisco, we are going to provide skills development opportunities through training, internships and mentorship for young graduates and budding entrepreneurs," Radebe said.
Cisco launched free online training courses (available in English) on the following topics:
1. Get Connected (Digital Literacy)
2. Enterpereneurship
3. Cybersecurity
4. Cybersecurity Essentials
5. Introduction to IoT
6. NDG Linux Unhatched
7. NDG Linux Essentials
The Cisco's skills programmes are built around their core company principles:
Providing access to the right skills, when they are needed. The company believes that teaching computer literacy at an early age is vital to preparing young people for future employment.
Providing an opportunity for everyone. With 90% of jobs anticipated to be digital by 2020, it is not enough to only train for the technology industry. Cisco looks to work with partner organisations to develop digital opportunities in the formal education sector through schools, colleges TVETs and universities as well as less traditional environments like prisons, homeless shelters, schools for the blind, and through training partnerships with innovation hubs.
Using our networks to help as many people as we can.Cisco has a channel based business model and believes in the power of partnerships.