Cisco unveils SITA Networking Academy

Networking company Cisco has unveiled a Cisco Networking Academy at the South African Information Technology Agency (SITA) in Erasmuskloof, in an effort to address the growing demand for ICT skills in SA.

SITA and Cisco have agreed to work towards a common goal, for the purpose of expanding the academy programme into a SITA training academy initiative, explains the company. The unveiling of the SITA Networking Academy brings the total number of Networking Academies in South Africa to 65 and 332 throughout Africa.

“Creating the right talent to support IT requirements is becoming a critical challenge for government and organisations alike. With the site at SITA Erasmuskloof, even more candidates will have access to vital IT skills training,” offers Aggrey Rantloane, regional public sector sales manager for Cisco in SA.

Cisco explains that the SITA Network Operations Centre, a unit within the infrastructure division, will be responsible for the maintenance of the academy, while the training and development division will be responsible for the management and operation of the academy.

The SITA academy is affiliated to the regional Cisco Networking Academy structure of the University of Pretoria. SITA learnership students and employees will benefit from the academy through scheduled training sessions offered by qualified SITA Cisco trainers, states the company.

The Cisco Networking Academy, first introduced in 1997, offers courses taught at more than 9 000 academies in 165 countries and more than 900 000 students develop ICT skills through the programme each year, claims Cisco.

The technology curricula includes areas such as security, wireless, and IP telephony, providing exposure to the latest technology skills in those fields. It also has a module teaching computer technician skills.

“The launch of the Cisco Networking Academy at SITA Erasmuskloof marks a major milestone for the programme in SA,” says Alfie Hamid, Area Academy manager for Cisco SA.

With over 5 500 students already enrolled in the programme throughout the country, the launch of this site further increases accessibility to the programme.”