During the past financial year, US-based networking giant Cisco provided 154 000 South Africans with critical ICT skills through its Cisco Networking Academy. Forty percent of those students pursued courses in cyber security.
This is according to Ndileka Stuurman, business development manager at Cisco Networking Academy, speaking to ITWeb TV.
The academy is the firm’s global skills-to-jobs programme, launched in 1997 in a bid to shape the workforce of the future. According to Cisco, since 1997, the company has impacted over 20 million learners in 190 countries.
In the interview, Stuurman also reveals how Cisco is partnering with South Africa’s Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, as well as its plans to grow the programme and bridge the digital divide in the country.
Since inception, she said, the Cisco Networking Academy has trained 411 000 students in South Africa.
“We’ve got a diverse portfolio of curricula, which includes programming, cyber security, networking and data science, among others. Our courses start from the basic digital literacy courses, up to advanced courses.”
On completion of each course, the learners get digital badges, as well as a certificate of completion, she noted, adding that some of the advanced courses require international exams for the learners to obtain international certificates.
“What’s nice about this is that the curriculum the South African students are using is the same curriculum that is in all the other countries. So, it gives them a competitive advantage and credentials that are recognised globally, not just in SA.”
Asked if the students get jobs on completion of the programme, she said: “We have partners such as educational institutions and government programmes focusing on bridging the digital divide and upskilling the youth. Through those initiatives, the partners are able to place these students for internships and we also give them an opportunity to go for work readiness programmes.”
Passion matters
According to Stuurman, the recruitment criteria for the academy is not strict. “For us, you just need to have passion for a career in IT. This means that anyone with any educational background can register with the academy. But I always advise my partners that they need to register students with a grade 10 or 11 institution, according to SA’s standards of education, for them to be able to access the courses that we offer.”
However, she pointed out that some of the courses require students to have fundamental or basic IT skills.
“For example, if you want to do CCNA, you cannot just jump into it, you need to have done at least a networking basic.”
On whether universities and colleges are doing enough to prepare students for the workplace, she said: “They are trying their best to make sure they align themselves with industry qualifications. For example, we have partnered with the Department of Higher Education and Training and TVET colleges, which have incorporated Cisco Networking Academy courses.”
These offer TVET college students digital literacy and cyber security skills, CCNA and networking courses.
Stuurman stated the academy is now looking at expanding offerings by adding other courses, since TVET colleges have introduced programming and coding.
“They are now looking at introducing Cisco’s IOT [internet of things] and digital transformation courses, as well as programming courses such as Python, JavaScript and C++.”
She pointed out that the academy has partnerships with 277 TVET colleges across SA and her top priority is to upskill and train instructors at TVET colleges.
“We still have a challenge in terms of the number of students enrolled for CCNA. The instructors need training, upskilling, as well as guidance and support to be able to offer these [CCNA] courses. We are doing this with our Instructor Training Centres that give training and accreditation to our instructors.”
Expanding reach
To address the digital divide in SA’s underserviced communities, Cisco has established learning hubs in libraries in those areas.
“As the Cisco Networking Academy, we understand we cannot do this alone. We need partners that can help us with outreach. We need partners that are already servicing these communities and also understand the needs of the underserviced communities. We then work with them to create awareness and make sure we create interest in ICT.
“For starters, we upskill our partners to make sure they are able to offer the Cisco Networking Academy courses and guide the students on the path to follow in their ICT journeys.
“I also feel the industry can do more. We are now getting intentional with getting the private sector on board to serve disadvantaged students. We need industry to come and work with us in making sure we provide infrastructure and resources to those communities.”
She pointed out the academy is doing its bit for the current Cyber Security Awareness Month.
“On the Cisco networking platform, we have resources that we are offering to our instructors and our academies so they can also drive this initiative with us. Through the academies, we are opening new courses in cyber security.”
Stuurman revealed the firm has committed to training three million people with IT skills across the African continent.
“We have recently launched a Cyber Security Experience Centre in Kenya through our Cisco Digital Acceleration Programme.”
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