Since the establishment of Cisco Networking Academy in Saudi Arabia in 2000, more than 274,500 students have been trained and upskilled via the program. 34% of these learners are female, making the Kingdom one of the top 20 countries worldwide with female participation.
During Cisco’s 2022 fiscal year alone, more than 64,000 students were enrolled in Cisco Networking Academy courses in Saudi Arabia. These learners were supported by more than 470 instructors, working across 120 academies in the Kingdom.
Salman Faqeeh, Managing Director, Cisco, Saudi Arabia commented, “Having one of the youngest populations in the region, we are very proud of the Cisco Networking Academy’s achievements in upskilling the next generation of IT talent in Saudi Arabia. One of the highlights of the academy’s success in the Kingdom is the female participation, which is among the highest globally. Learners in the country have demonstrated their enthusiasm to gain the necessary skill sets required to be a part of the workforce of the future. As digitization continues to become a reality, we’re constantly working with the national leadership, industry, and academia to expand Cisco Networking Academy’s reach to unlock the full potential of talent in Saudi Arabia.”
Cisco to Empower 25 Million People Globally with Digital Skills Over the Next Ten Years
Earlier this quarter, Cisco has announced its goal to provide digital skills training to 25 million learners globally over the next ten years through its Cisco Networking Academy program. By 2025, 97 million new jobs are expected to be created worldwide due to advances in technology and automation, and Cisco is helping millions of people around the globe gain access to these expected jobs by empowering the workforce of the future with education and career opportunities through its Networking Academy.
Founded in 1997, Cisco Networking Academy is celebrating its 25th anniversary and continues to be one of the longest-standing IT skills-to-jobs program in the world. Cisco Networking Academy provides high-quality IT courses, learning simulators, and hands-on learning opportunities via a learning platform to support instructors and engage learners in 190 countries. To date, over 17.5 million global learners have taken Cisco Networking Academy courses to gain digital skills. Additionally, 95% of students that have taken Cisco certification have helped the students in obtaining a job or an education opportunity in a field of their interest..
As Cisco Networking Academy continues to grow and promote new training and education opportunities, it will leverage the latest programs and partnerships that are essential in building necessary digital skills and an inclusive future, including:
- 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.
- A new cybersecurity learning pathway culminating in an entry-level certification to provide learners with skills to earn entry-level security jobs in the fast growing security industry sector.
- Continued development of partnerships with governments such as Cisco’s commitment at the National Cyber Workforce and Education Summit in July 2022 to train an additional 200,000 students in the U.S. over the next three years; as well as partnerships with non-profits and academic institutions to bring more courses and opportunities to learners around the world.
