Jaipur: Cisco aims to train 500,000 cybersecurity professionals in three years across India. The company said its goal is to train 500,000 people with cybersecurity skills over the next 3 years, across India.
This goal is part of Cisco’s 10-year ambition to empower 25 million people with digital skills worldwide through Cisco’s Networking Academy. The flagship program is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
During this time, the program has reached 17.5 million students across 190 countries. Since starting operations in India, it has trained 1.2 million students through 718 partnerships with educational institutions and organisations offering Networking Academy courses.
The announcement was made at the Cisco India Summit (CIS) 2023 in Jaipur.
Cisco aspires to equip India’s students with the career-ready technical skills required to meet the ever-growing security needs of tomorrow.
It intends to impart cybersecurity skills to half a million individuals by the end of fiscal 2025. This builds on the Networking Academy’s efforts in India. Additionally, 95% of surveyed students who took Cisco certification-aligned courses have either obtained a job opportunity and/or an opportunity to further advance their education.
“As technology becomes all-pervasive, India’s vision for a prosperous and inclusive future will be rooted in digital trust. To make this happen, a skilling revolution, especially in cybersecurity, is vital,” said Daisy Chittilapilly, President of Cisco India and SAARC.
“Today, we are doubling down on our commitment to help build future-ready workforces through the Networking Academy program. We aim to empower India’s youth to leverage the cyber opportunities emerging in the hybrid, digital-first world,” added Chittilapilly.
“Amidst the ever-changing threat landscape, the need to invest in cybersecurity skilling and develop the next generation of security leaders has never been greater,” said Laura Quintana, VP and GM of Cisco Networking Academy.
“India has always been and continues to be a critical talent hub for us, and we are proud to expand our training and education opportunities to provide its people the digital skills necessary to build an inclusive future for all,” added Quintana.
Founded in 1997, Cisco Networking Academy’s mission is to enable an equitable and inclusive workforce on a global scale. It continues to be one of the longest-standing IT skills-to-jobs programs in the world.