Cisco Networking Academy, founded in 1997, celebrated its 25^th anniversary on October 18, 2022. The program operates under Cisco Corporate Affairs and activates the company’s purpose to Power an Inclusive Future for All benefiting employees, communities, and the planet. Cisco Networking Academy operates in partnership with designated Academies which include high schools, nonprofits, community colleges and other academic organizations. Instructors in Academies are enabled with extensive support and courses via an education platform hosting curricula and resources. Networking Academy students gain access to career-building and job matching-programs free of charge.

The program has made an impressive impact with more than 17.5 million student participants since the Networking Academy’s inception. Cisco’s latest Purpose Report states that ninety-five percent of students taking Cisco certification courses said it helped them to find subsequent job or educational opportunities. In the same report Cisco announced that annual in-kind contributions by way of the Networking Academy amounted to US $367 million. The program continues to focus on the underserved and underrepresented minorities who might not otherwise have access to high-quality educational pathways.

Cisco Networking Academy in Action

At age 11, Edna Felix wanted to take a computer course in Ricardo de Albuquerque, a suburb of Rio de Janiero. Her mother was only earning 90 reals a month (about USD17), and the course cost 45 reals, but she was willing to make the investment to help her daughter. In turn, Edna saved up to attend a local college offering Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) courses 1 and 2 for free, so that people could gain the tech skills needed to work in the 2016 Olympic Games. Edna successfully completed the coursework and her supervisor at the Olympics later became her first manager at Cisco, where she currently works as a Technical Manager.

Political unrest and economic turmoil forced Hamid Hajar to leave Sudan for Lebanon. As a refugee, he found work as a cleaner in the IT Department of Beirut’s Business and Computer University College. Thanks to a perceptive manager who spotted Hamid’s potential, he was encouraged to join the university’s Networking Academy program where he earned his first CCNA certificate, opening a new world of opportunities. Along the way, he was supported by the course director, staff and fellow-students to persevere through studying and working at the same time.

Maria Gaffney first discovered her passion for technology in high school. After enrolling in the Computer Science program at the University of the District of Columbia, Maria discovered Cisco Networking Academy. She dug into switches, routers, data routing methods, and the inner workings of the Internet. Her career has taken her from federal work to Amazon Web Services to becoming a client success technician at Vortex Managed IT Solutions. Maria is one of Cisco Networking Academy’s 4.6 million female students who have participated in the program to date.

A Conversation with Laura Quintana, leader at Cisco Networking Academy

I spoke with Laura Quintana, Vice President and General Manager of Cisco Networking Academy, to hear her reflections on the value of the program and where the organization is investing for the future.

Michael Arthur: In celebrating the Networking Academy’s 25^th birthday, what are you most proud of?

Laura Quintana: I’m most proud of the lives we’ve touched and have helped to transform. That means I’m proud of our ability to meet learners where they’re at, help them learn new skills, and provide them with a life-changing pathway to well-paying jobs.

Michael Arthur: How does the program align with Cisco’s Purpose?

Laura Quintana: Our purpose at Cisco is to power an inclusive future for all and ensure we benefit people, society, and the planet. Our work at Cisco Networking Academy supports that purpose. We aim to transform the lives of learners, educators and communities through the power of technology, education, and career opportunities to create an inclusive future for everyone. We do this through our unmatched ecosystem of public-private partnerships and our ability to connect individuals from all walks of life to job opportunities.

Arthur: It sounds like you see yourselves as trailblazers?

Quintana: We are! We started in 1997 during the early days of the internet. We developed a Learning Management System before this became standard practice. We were and are leaders in providing learning free of charge and directly engaging people with our offerings. I often hear from academic institutions and governments we’ve worked with over the last 25 years, and they tell us we are trailblazers.

I recently was in New York City visiting Chelsea High School where there’s a Cisco Networking Academy instructor with 20 years’ experience. He insists we’ve always been at the forefront of education. He told me, “You’ve always been at least five years ahead compared to other instructor practices.”

Arthur: How is your market changing?

Quintana: There are 97 million new technology jobs that must be filled due to the shifting nature of industry. Businesses need individuals with digital skills. We know digitization has transformed economies, nations, cities, large corporations, and small businesses. If you’re not digitized, it’s really hard to participate in the digital economy. You need talent to achieve that. Let me emphasize that what we’re doing is good for society. It’s good for the individuals whose lives we transform, and it’s also good for business.

Arthur: Is supporting your instructors at the heart of your approach?

Quintana: We approach the full learning spectrum from the platform to the instructor to professional development. We create real value through our ecosystem of Partners and academic institutions around the world. We are tremendously proud of the global partnerships that we’ve built over 25 years. We have established strong relationships with ministries of education, ministries of justice, and education providers and built a high level of trust along the way. We have 800 Networking Academy Partners who provide onboarding support and instructor training to our Academies that deliver our courses and services. We also provide ongoing instructor professional development.

Arthur: There are Networking Academy Partners and there are Academies – right?

Quintana: Yes. We work with a network of 800 Partners. They in turn, support 11,800 Academies that offer our courses to students. Our Academies are high schools, community colleges, and universities. They can also be found at government-established centers, such as community centers or retraining agencies, or at libraries or nonprofits. I’ve been personally involved in a nonprofit called Love Never Fails that supports survivors of human trafficking. They offer our courses along with other services like housing and counseling.

In July 2021, we launched Skills For All enabling us to directly reach learners. We did this to expand the program and be more inclusive. We recognize not every individual has access to one of our Academies. An Academy may not be physically nearby or its course schedule may not work for them. Skills for All expands our reach and enables individuals to connect to courses via their smartphones. We meet learners where they are – anytime, anywhere. In the first year, Skills for All reached nearly 800,000 participants.

Arthur: I like what I’m hearing, but can you say more about the overall curriculum?

Quintana: We have a comprehensive portfolio, and we are constantly working to ensure that students aren’t just acquiring knowledge, but real skills that lead to jobs. We want to make sure we train for entry level jobs, and, in particular, jobs in networking, cybersecurity, and software development. Our complete portfolio consists of 34 courses, translated in up to 27 languages starting from our very introductory exploratory courses to career-ready courses aligned to in-demand jobs. We help connect students to job opportunities through our Talent Bridge matching engine – a tool that over 1,000 Cisco Channel Partners use to recruit our students.

Arthur: Advocates of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion might want to know what you’re doing in their space.

Quintana: We are proud of our equitable and inclusive impact. Cisco Networking Academy supports the full spectrum of diversity. We know that investing in a diverse workforce begets a diverse workforce. Our courses reach individuals of all backgrounds. We measure our impact and strive to do more. Globally, more than 4.6 million women have participated in Cisco Networking Academy and we actively work to attract women into our Women Rock IT program. We invest in partnerships with institutions to attract diverse talent.

In the US, 38 percent of our students are underrepresented minorities, including 20 percent Black or African American, 17 percent Hispanic or Latino, and 1 percent American Indian/Alaska Native. We are proud to partner with 48 of the 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States.

We have also partnered with institutions like Curtin University in Australia who established the Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired – CAVI – which has trained over 2,000 visually impaired individuals. Since 2019, our program has served over 150,000 learners from around the world who have identified as having disabilities.

Arthur: What are your hopes for Cisco Networking Academy for the next 25 years?

Quintana: We will build on our rich heritage, and double down on our legacy to continue to innovate and reach people around the world, especially the underserved and underrepresented. As part of our 25^th anniversary celebration, we are announcing a new goal to reach 25 million new learners over the next ten years. This will mean extending the reach of the program beyond traditional classrooms and meeting new learners wherever they are on their life journeys. We will continue to be on the leading edge of curriculum development and learning experiences to help individuals from all walks of life acquire skills they need to participate in the digital economy. We arrived at our silver anniversary because of our relentless co-innovation and co-investment with like-minded organizations, which will ensure that together we continue to provide comprehensive services that people need to be successful.

Arthur: Nicely said, thank you.